A  Marriage  at  Sea 


By 

W.  Clark  Russell. 


Chicago  and  New  York: 

Rand,  McNally  &  Company, 
Publishers. 


A  MARRIAGE  AT  SEA. 


I. 

My  dandy-rigged  yacht,  the  Spitfire,  of  twenty- 
six  tons,  lay  in  Boulogne  harbor,  hidden  in  the  mid- 
night shadow  of  the  wall  against  which  she  floated. 
It  was  a  breathless  night,  dark  despite  the  wide 
spread  of  cloudless  sky  that  was  brilliant  with  stars. 
It  was  hard  upon  the  hour  of  midnight,  and  low  down 
where  we  lay  we  heard  but  dimly  the  sounds  of  such 
life  as  was  still  abroad  in  the  Boulogne  streets. 
Ahead  of  us  loomed  the  shadow  of  a  double-fun- 
neled  steamer — an  inky  dye  of  scarcely  determinable 
proportions  upon  the  black  and  silent  waters  of  the 
harbor.  The  Capecure  pier  made  a  faint,  phantom, 
like  line  of  gloom  as  it  ran  seaward  on  our  left,  with 
here  and  there  a  lump  of  shadow  denoting  some  col- 
lier fast  to  the  skeleton  timbers.  We  were  waiting  for 
the  hour  of  midnight  to  strike,  and  our  ears  were 
strained. 

"What  noise  is  that  ?"     I  exclaimed. 

"  The  dip  of  sweeps,  sir,"  answered  my  captain, 
Aaron  Caudel;  "some  smack  a-coming  along — ay, 
there  she  is."  And  he  shadowily  pointed  to  a  dark 
square  heap  betwixt  the  piers,  softly  approaching  to 
the  impulse  of  her  long  oars. 

(6) 


2138109   ' 


6  A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA. 

"  How  is  your  pluck  now,  Caudel  ? "  said  I,  in  a 
low  voice,  sending  a  glance  up  at  the  dark  edge  of  the 
harbor  wall  above  us,  where  stood  the  motionless  fig- 
ure of  a  douanier,  with  a  button  or  two  of  his  uniform 
faintly  glimmering  to  the  gleam  of  a  lamp  near  him. 
"  Right  for  the  job,  sir — right  as  your  honor  could 
desire  it.  There's  but  one  consideration  which  ain't 
like  a  feeling  of  sartinty;  and  that,  I  must  say,  con- 
sarns  the  dawg." 

"  Smother  the  dog!  But  you  are  right.  We  must 
leave  our  boots  in  the  ditch." 

"  Ain't  there  plenty  of  grass,  sir? "  said  he. 

"I  hope  so;  but  a  fathom  of  gravel  will  so  crunch 
under  such  hoofs  as  yours,  that  the  very  dead  buried 
beneath  might  turn  in  their  coffins,  let  alone  a  live  dog 
wide  awake  from  the  end  of  his  beastly  cold  snout 
to  the  tip  of  his  tail.  Does  the  ladder  chafe  you? " 

"  No,  sir.  Makes  me  feel  a  bit  asthmatic-like,  and 
if  them  duniers  get  a  sight  of  me  they'll  reckon  I've 
visited  the  Continent  to  make  a  show  of  myself,"  he 
exclaimed,  with  a  low  deep-sea  laugh,  while  he  spread 
his  hands  upon  his  breast,  around  which,  under  cover 
of  a  large,  loose,  long  pea-coat,  he  had  coiled  a  length 
of  rope-ladder  with  two  iron  hooks  at  one  end  of  it, 
which  made  a  hump  on  either  shoulder-blade.  There 
was  no  other  way,  however,  of  conveying  the 
ladder  ashore.  In  the  hand  it  would  instantly  have 
challenged  attention,  and  a  bag  would  have  been 
equally  an  object  of  curiosity  to  the  two  or  three  cus- 
tom-house phantoms  flitting  about  in  triangular-- 
shaped trousers  and  shako-like  head-gear. 


A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA.  7 

"There  goes  midnight,  sir!  "  cried  Caudel. 

As  I  listened  to  the  chimes,  a  sudden  fit  of  excite- 
ment set  me  trembling. 

"Are  ye  there,  Job?"  called  my  captain. 

"  Ay,  sir,"  responded  a  voice  from  the  bows  of  the 
yacht. 

"Jim?" 

"  Here,  sir,"  answered  a  second  voice  out  of  the 
darkness  forward. 

"Dick?" 

"  Here,  sir." 

"  Bobby  ?" 

"  Here,  sir,"  responded  the  squeaky  notes  of  a  boy. 

"  Lay  aft,  all  you  ship's  company,  and  don't  make 
no  noise,"  growled  Caudel. 

I  looked  up;  the  figure  of  the  douanier  had  vanished. 
The  three  men  and  the  boy  came  sneaking  out  of  the 
yacht's  head. 

"Now,  what  ye've  got  to  do,"  said  Caudel,  "is  to 
keep  awake.  You'll  see  all  ready  for  hoisting  and 
gitting  away  the  hinstant  Mr.  Barclay  and  me  arrives 
aboard.  You  onderstand  that  ?" 

"  It's  good  English,  Cap'n,"  said  one  of  the  sailors. 
•  "No skylarking, mind.  You're  a-listening,  Bobby?" 

"Ay,  sir." 

"You'll  just  go  quietly  to  work  and  see  all  clear, 
and  then  tarn  to  and  loaf  about  in  the  shadow.  Now, 
Mr.  Barclay,  sir,  if  you're  ready,  I  am." 

"  Have  you  the  little  bull's-eye  in  your  pocket? " 
said  I. 

He  felt,  and  answered,  "Yes." 


8  A   MARRIAGE   AT   SEA. 

"  Matches  ?" 

"Two  boxes." 

"  Stop  a  minute,"  said  I,  and  I  descended  into  the 
cabin  to  read  my  darling's  letter  for  the  last  time,  that 
I  might  make  sure  of  all  the  details  of  our  romantic 
plot  ere  embarking  on  as  hare-brained  an  adventure 
as  was  ever  attempted  by  a  lover  and  his  sweetheart. 

The  cabin-lamp  burned  brightly.  I  see  the  little 
interior  now,  and  myself  standing  upright  under  the 
skylight,  which  found  me  room  for  my  stature,  for  I 
was  six  feet  high.  The  night  shadow  came  black 
against  the  glass,  and  made  a  mirror  of  each  pane. 
My  heart  was  beating  fast,  and  my  hands  trembled  as 
I  held  my  sweetheart's  letter  to  the  light.  I  had  read 
it  twenty  times  before — you  might  have  known  that  by 
the  creases  in  it,  and  the  frayed  edges,  as  though,  for- 
sooth, it  had  been  a  love-letter  fifty  years  old — but  my 
nervous  excitement  obliged  me  to  go  through  it  once 
more  for  the  last  time,  as  I  have  said,  to  make  sure. 

The  handwriting  was  girlish;  how  could  it  be  other- 
wise, seeing  that  the  sweet  writer  was  not  yet 
eighteen  ?  The  letter  consisted  of  four  sheets,  and  on 
one  of  them  was  very  cleverly  drawn,  in  pen  and  ink,  a 
tall,  long,  narrow,  old-fashioned  chateau,  with  some 
shrubbery  in  front  of  it,  a  short,  length  of  wall,  then  a 
tall  hedge,  with  an  arrow  pointing  at  it,  under  which 
was  written,  "  Here  is  the  hole."  Under  another  ar- 
row, indicating  a  big,  square  door,  to  the  right  of  the 
house,  where  a  second  short  length  of  wall  was 
sketched  in,  were  written  the  words,  "Here  is  the 
dog."  Other  arrows— quite  a  flight  of  them,  indeed, 


A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA.  9 

causing  the  sketch  to  resemble  a  weather  chart — 
pointed  to  windows,  doors,  a  little  balcony,  and  so 
forth,  and  against  them  were  written,  "  Ma'm'selle's 
room,"  "  The  German  governess'  room,"  "  Four 
girls  sleep  here," — with  other  hints  of  a  like  kind.  I 
put  the  letter  in  my  pocket  and  went  on  deck. 

"  Where  are  you,  Caudel  ?" 

"  Here,  sir,"  cried  a  shadow  in  the  starboard  gang- 
way. 

"Let  us  start,"  said  I;  "there  is  half  an  hour's 
walk  before  us;  and,  though  the  agreed  time  is  one, 
there  is  a  great  deal  to  be  done  when  we  arrive." 

"  I've  been  thinking,  Mr.  Barclay,"  he  exclaimed, 
"that  the  young  lady'll  never  be  able  to  get  aboard 
this  yacht  by  that  there  up-and-down  ladder,"  mean- 
ing the  perpendicular  steps  affixed  to  the  harbor 
wall. 

"  No,"  cried  I,  needlessly  startled  by  an  insignifi- 
cant oversight  on  the  very  threshold  of  the  project. 

"  The  boat,"  he  continued,  "  had  better  be  in  wait- 
ing at  them  stairs,  just  past  the  smack  astarn  of  us 
there." 

"  Give  the  necessary  orders,"  said  I. 

He  did  so  swiftly,  bidding  two  of  the  men  to  be  at 
the  stairs  by  one  o'clock,  the  others  to  have  the  port 
gangway  unshipped,  to  enable  us  to  step  aboard  in  a 
moment,  along  with  sails  loosed  and  gear  all  seen  to, 
ready  for  a  prompt  start.  We  then  ascended  the  lad- 
der and  gained  the  top  of  the  quay. 

We  said  little  until  we  had  cleared  the  Rue  de 
1'Ecu,  and  were  marching  up  the  broad  Grande  Rue, 


10  A    MARRIAGE    AT   SEA. 

with  the  church  of  St.  Nicholas  soaring  in  a  dusky 
mass  out  of  the  market-place,  and  the  few  lights  of 
the  wide  main  street  rising  in  fitful  twinklings  to  the 
shadow  of  the  rampart  walls.  A  mounted  gendarme 
passed;  the  stroke  of  his  horse's  hoofs  sounded  hol- 
low in  the  broad  thoroughfare,  and  accentuated  the 
deserted  appearance  of  the  street.  Here  and  there  a 
light  showed  in  a  window;  from  a  distance  came  a 
noise  of  chorusing — a  number  of  fellows,  no  doubt, 
arm  in  arm,  singing  "  M our ir  pour  la  Patrie  "  to  the 
inspiration  of  several  glasses  of  sugar  and  water. 

"  I  sha'n't  be  sorry  when  we're  there,"  said  Caudel. 
"  This  here  ladder  makes  my  coat  feel  a  terrible  tight 
fit.  I  suppose  it'll  be  the  first  job  of  the  sort  ye  was 
ever  engaged  in,  sir? " 

"The  first,"  said  I,  "and  the  last,  too,  believe  me. 
It  is  nervous  work.  I  would  rather  have  to  deal  with 
an  armed  burglar  than  with  an  elopement.  I  wish 
the  business  was  ended  and  we  were  heading  for 
Penzance." 

"  And  I  don't  suppose  the  young  lady  feels  extra 
comfortable,  either,"  he  exclaimed.  "Let  me  see: 
I've  got  to  be  right  in  my  latitude  and  longitude,  or 
we  shall  be  finding  ourselves  ashore.  It's  for  us  to 
make  the  signal,  ain't  it,  sir? " 

"  Yes,"  said  I,  puffing,  for  the  road  was  steep,  and 
we  were  walking  rapidly.  "  First  of  all  you'll  have  to 
prepare  the  ladder.  You  haven't  forgotten  the  rungs, 
I  hope? "  referring  to  three  brass  pieces  to  keep  the 
ropes  extended,  contrivances  which  had  been  made 
to  my  order,  resembling  stair-rods  with  forks  and  an 


A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA.  11 

arrangement  of  screws  by  which  they  could  be  discon- 
nected into  pieces  convenient  for  the  pocket. 

"  They're  here,  sir,"  he  exclaimed,  slapping  his 
breast. 

"Well,  we  proceed  thus.  The  bull's-eye  must  be 
cautiously  lighted  and  darkened.  We  have  then  to 
steal  noiselessly  to  abreast  of  the  window,  on  the  left 
of  the  house,  and  flash  the  lantern.  This  will  be 
answered  by  the  young  lady  striking  a  match  at  the 
window." 

"Won't  the  scraping  of  the  lucifer  be  heard?" 
inquired  Caudel. 

"  No.  Miss  Bellassys  writes  to  me  that  no  one 
sleeps  within  several  corridors  of  that  room." 

"Well,  and  then  I  think  ye  said,  sir,"  observed  Cau- 
del, "  that  the  young  lady'll  slip  out  onto  the  balcony 
and  lower  away  a  small  length  of  line,  to  which  this 
here  ladder,"  he  said,  giving  his  breast  a  thump,  "  is 
to  be  bent  on,  she  hauling  of  it  up? " 

"  Quite  right,"  said  I.  "  You  must  help  her  to 
descend,  while  I  hold  the  ladder  taut  at  the  foot  of  it. 
No  fear  of  the  ropes  breaking,  I  hope?" 

"Lord  love  'ee,"  he  cried,  heartily,  "it's  a  brand- 
new  ratlin-stuff,  strong  enough  to  hoist  the  mainmast 
out  of  a  first-rate." 

By  this  time  we  had  gained  the  top  of  the  Grande 
Rue.  Before  us  stretched  an  open  space,  dark  with 
lines  of  trees;  at  long  intervals  the  gleam  of  an  oil 
lamp  dotted  that  space  of  gloom;  on  our  right  lay  the 
dusky  mass  of  the  rampart  walls,  the  yawning  gate- 
way dully  illuminated,  by  the  trembling  flame  of  a 


12  A    MARRIAGE   AT   SEA. 

lantern,  into  a  picture  which  carried  the  imagination 
back  into  heroic  times,  when  elopements  were  exceed- 
ingly common,  when  gallant  knights  were  to  be  met 
with  galloping  away  with  women  of  beauty  and  dis- 
tinction clinging  to  them,  when  the  midnight  air  was 
vocal  with  guitars,  and  nearly  every  other  darkling 
lattice  framed  some  sweet,  pale,  listening  face. 

"Which'll  be  the  road,  sir?"  broke  in  Caudel's 
tempestuous  voice. 

I  had  explored  the  district  that  afternoon,  had 
observed  all  that  was  necessary,  and  discovered  that 
the  safest  if  not  the  shortest  way  to  the  Rue  de 
Maqu6tra,  where  my  sweetheart,  Grace  Bellassys,  was 
at  school,  lay  through  the  Haute  Ville,  or  Upper 
Town,  as  the  English  called  it.  The  streets  were 
utterly  deserted;  not  so  much  as  a  cat  stirred.  One 
motionless  figure  we  passed,  hard  by  the  cathedral — a 
policeman  or  gendarme — he  might  have  been  a  statue. 
It  was  like  pacing  the  streets  of  a  town  that  had  been 
sacked,  in  which  nothing  lived  to  deliver  so  much  as 
a  groan;  and  the  fancy  was  not  a  little  improved  by 
our  emergence  into  what  resembled  a  tract  of  country 
through  a  gate-way  similar  to  that  by  which  we  had 
entered,  over  which  there  faintly  glimmered  out  to  the 
sheen  of  a  near  lamp  the  figure  of  Our  Lady  of  Bou- 
logne erect  in  some  carving  of  a  boat. 

"  Foreigners  is  a  queer  lot,"  exclaimed  Caudel.  "  I 
dunno  as  I  should  much  relish  living  between  them 
walls.  How  much  further  off  is  it,  sir?" 

"  About  ten  minutes,"  said  I. 

"  A  blooming  walk,  Mr.  Barclay,  sir,  begging  your 


A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA.  13 

pardon.  Wouldn't  it  have  been  as  well  if  you'd  have 
ordered  a  fee-nacre  to  stand  by  ready  to  jump  aboard 
of?" 

"  A  fee  what? "  said  I. 

"What's  the  French  for  a  cab,  sir?  " 

"  Oh,  I  see  what  you  mean.  No.  It's  all  down 
hill  for  the  lady.  A  carriage  makes  a  noise;  and  then 
there  is  the  cabman  to  be  left  behind  to  tell  all  he 
knows." 

Caudel  grunted  in  assent,  and  we  strode  onward 
in  silence. 

The  Rue  de  Maqu6tra  was — is,  I  may  say,  I  presume 
it  still  exists — a  long,  narrow  lane  leading  to  a  pretty 
valley.  Something  more  than  half-way  up  it,  on 
the  left-hand  side,  runs  a  tall  convent  wall,  the  shadow 
of  which,  dominated  as  the  heights  were  by  trees  on 
such  a  motionless  midnight  as  this,  plunged  the  road- 
way into  deepest  gloom. 

Directly  opposite  the  convent  wall  stood  the  old 
chateau,  darkened  and  thickened  in  front  by  a  pro- 
fusion of  shrubbery,  with  a  short  length  of  wall,  as  I 
have  already  said,  at  both  extremities  of  it.  The 
grounds  belonging  to  the  house,  as  they  rose  with 
the  hill,  were  divided  from  the  lane  by  a  thick  hedge, 
which  terminated  at  a  distance  of  some  two  hundred 
feet. 

We  came  to  a  stand  and  listened,  staring  our  hard- 
est with  all  our  eyes.  The  house  was  in  blackness; 
the  line  of  the  roof  ran  in  a  clear  sweep  of  ink  against 
the  stars,  and  not  the  faintest  sound  came  from  it  or 
its  grounds  save  the  delicate  tinkling  murmur  of  a 


14  A   MARRIAGE    AT   SEA. 

fountain  playing  somewhere  among  the  shrubbery  in 
front. 

"  Where'll  be  the  dawg? "  exclaimed  Caudel,  in  a 
hoarse  whisper. 

"Behind  the  wall  there,"  I   answered— " yonder 
where  the  great  square  door  is.     Hark!     Did  not 
that  sound  like  the  rattle  of  a  chain?  " 
We  listened;  then  said  I: 

"  Let  us  make  for  the  hole  in  the  hedge.  I  have 
its  bearings.  It  directly  fronts  the  third  angle  of  that 
convent  wall." 

We  crept  soundlessly  past  the  house,  treading  the 
verdure  that  lay  in  dark  streaks  upon  the  glimmering 
ground  of  this  little-frequented  lane.  The  clock  of 
the  convent  opposite  struck  half-past  twelve. 

"One  bell,  sir,"  said  Caudel.  "  It's  about  time  we 
tarned  to,  and  no  mistake.  Lord,  how  I'm  a-perspir- 
ing!  yet  it  ben't  so  hot,  neither.  Which  side  of  the 
house  do  the  lady  descend  from? " 

"From  this  side,"  I  answered. 

"Well  clear  of  the  dawg,  anyhow,"  said  he,  "and 
that's  a  good  job." 

"  Here's  the  hole,"  I  cried,  with  my  voice  shrill  be- 
yond recognition  of  my  own  hearing,  through  the 
nervous  excitement  I  labored  under. 

The  hole  was  a  neglected  gap  in  the  hedge,  a  rent 
originally  made  probably  by  donkey-boys,  several  of 
whose  cattle  I  had  observed  that  afternoon  browsing 
along  the  ditch  and  bank-side.  We  squeezed  through, 
and  found  ourselves  in  a  sort  of  kitchen  garden,  as  I 
might  imagine  from  the  aspect  of  the  shadowy  vege- 


A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA.  15 

tation;  it  seemed  to  run  clear  to  the  very  walls  of  the 
house  on  this  side  in  dwarf  bushes  and  low  ridged 
growths. 

"Here'll  be  a  path,  I  hope,"  growled  Caudel. 
"  What  am  I  a-treading  on?  Cabbages?  They  crackle 
worse  nor  gravel,  Mr.  Barclay." 

"  Clear  yourself  of  the  rope-ladder,  and  then  I'll 
smother  you  in  your  big  pea-coat  while  you  light  the 
lamp,"  said  I.  "  Let  us  keep  well  in  the  shadow  of 
the  hedge.  Who  knows  what  eyes  may  be  star- 
gazing yonder." 

The  hedge  flung  a  useful  dye  upon  the  blackness 
of  the  night,  and  our  figures  against  it,  though  they 
should  have  been  viewed  close  to,  must  have  been 
indistinguishable.  With  a  seaman's  alacrity,  Caudel 
slipped  off  his  immense  coat,  and  in  a  few  moments 
had  unwound  the  length  of  ladder  from  his  body. 
He  wore  a  colored  flannel  shirt;  I  had  dreaded  to  find 
him  figuring  in  white  calico.  He  dropped  the  ladder 
to  the  ground,  and  the  iron  hooks  clanked  as  they  fell 
together.  I  hissed  a  sea  blessing  at  him  through  my 
teeth. 

"  Have  you  no  wick  in  those  tallow-candle  fingers 
of  yours?  Hush!  Stand  motionless." 

As  I  spoke,  the  dog  began  to  bark.  That  it  was 
the  dog  belonging  to  the  house  I  could  not  swear. 
The  sound,  nevertheless,  proceeded  from  the  direction 
of  the  yard  in  which  my  sweetheart  had  told  me  the 
dog  was  chained.  The  deep  and  melancholy  note 
was  like  that  of  a  bloodhound  giving  tongue.  It  was 
reverberated  by  the  convent  wall,  and  seemed  to  pen- 


16  A   MARRIAGE    AT    SEA. 

etrate  to  the  farthest  distance,  awaking  the  very 
echoes  of  the  sleeping  River  Liane,  and  it  filled  the 
breathless  pause  that  had  fallen  upon  us  with  a  tor- 
ment of  inquietude  and  expectation.  After  a  few 
minutes  the  creature  ceased. 

"  He'll  be  a  whopper,  sir.  Big  as  a  pony,  sir,  if 
his  voice  don't  belie  him,"  said  Caudel,  fetching  a 
deep  breath.  "  I  was  once  bit  by  a  dawg — "  He 
was  about  to  spin  a  yarn. 

"  For  heaven's  sake,  now,  bear  a  hand  and  get  your 
bull's-eye  alight,"  I  angrily  whispered,  at  the  same 
moment  snatching  up  his  coat  and  so  holding  it  as 
effectually  to  screen  his  figure  from  the  house. 

Feeling  over  the  coat,  he  pulled  out  the  little 
bull's-eye  lamp  and  a  box  of  matches,  and,  catching 
with  oceanic  dexterity  the  flame  of  the  lucifer  in  the 
hollow  of  his  hands,  he  kindled  the  wick  and  I  imme- 
diately closed  the  lantern  with  its  glass  eclipsed. 
This  done,  I  directed  my  eyes  at  the  black  smears  of 
growths — for  thus  they  showed — lying  round  about  us, 
in  search  of  a  path;  but  apparently  we  were  on  the  mar- 
gin of  some  wide  tract  of  vegetables,  through  which 
we  should  have  to  thrust  to  reach  the  stretch  of  sward 
that,  according  to  the  description  in  my  pocket,  lay 
immediately  under  the  balcony  from  which  my  sweet- 
heart was  to  descend. 

"Pick  up  that  ladder — by  the  hooks;  see  they 
don't  clank;  crouch  low;  make  a  bush  of  yourself,  as 
I  do,  and  come  along,"  said  I. 

Foot  by  foot  we  groped  our  way  toward  the  tall, 
thin  shadow  of  the  house  through  the  cabbages — to 


A   MARRIAGE   AT    SEA.  17 

give  the  vegetation  a  name — and  presently  arrived  at 
the  edge  of  the  sward;  and  now  we  had  to  wait  until 
the  clock  struck  one.  Fortunately  there  were  some 
bushes  here,  but  none  that  rose  higher  than  our  girths, 
and  this  obliged  us  to  maintain  a  posture  of  stooping, 
which,  in  a  short  time,  began  to  tell  upon  Caudel's 
rheumatic  knees,  as  I  knew  by  his  snuffling,  and  his 
uneasy  movements,  though  the  heart  of  oak  suffered 
in  silence. 

This  side  of  the  house  lay  so  black  against  the 
fine,  clear,  starry  dusk  of  the  sky,  that  it  was  impos- 
sible to  see  the  outlines  of  the  windows  in  it.  I  could 
manage,  however,  to  trace  faintly  the  line  of  the  bal- 
cony. My  heart  beat  fast  as  I  thought  that, 
even  now,  my  darling  might  be  standing  at  the  win- 
dow peering  through  it,  waiting  for  the  signal  flash. 
Caudel  was  thinking  of  her,  too. 

"The  young  lady,  begging  of  your  pardon,  sir, 
must  be  a  gal  of  uncommon  spirit,  Mr.  Barclay." 

"  She  loves  me,  Caudel,  and  love  is  the  most  ani- 
mating of  spirits,  my  friend." 

"I  dorn't  doubt  it,  sir.  What  room'll  it  be  that 
she's  to  come  out  of? " 

"The  dining-room — a  big  deserted  apartment, 
where  the  girls  take  their  meals." 

"  'Tain't  her  bedroom,  then?" 

"  No.  She  is  to  steal  dressed  from  her  bedroom  to 
the  salle-ci-manger — " 

"  The  Sally  what,  sir? " 

"  No  matter,  no  matter,"  I  answered. 

I  pulled  out  my  watch,  but  there  was  no  power  in 


18  A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA. 

the  starlight  to  reveal  the  dial-plate.  All  continued 
still  as  the  tomb,  saving,  at  fitful  intervals,  a  low  note 
of  silken  rustling  that  stole  upon  the  ear  with  some 
tender,  dream-like  gushing  of  night  air,  as  though  the 
atmosphere  had  been  stirred  by  the  sweep  of  a  large, 
near,  invisible  pinion. 

"This  here  posture  ain't  so  agreeable  as  dancing," 
hoarsely  rumbled  Caudel.  "  Could  almost  wish  my- 
self a  dwarf.  That  there  word  beginning  with  a 
Sally—" 

"  Not  so  loud,  man;  not  so  loud." 

"  It's  oncommon  queer,"  he  persisted,  "  to  feel  one's 
self  in  a  country  where  one's  language  ain't  spoke. 
The  werry  soil  don't  seem  natural.  As  to  the  lan- 
guage itself,  burst  me  if  I  can  onderstand  how  a  man 
masters  it.  I  was  once  trying  to  teach  a  Irish  sailor 
how  to  dance  a  quadrille.  '  Now,  Murphy,'  says  I  to 
him,  'you  onderstand  you're  my  wiz-a-wee.'  'What's 
dat  you  call  me?'  he  cried  out;  'you're  anoder,  and  a 
damn  scoundrel  besoides!'  Half  the  words  in  this 
here  tongue  sound  like  cussing  of  a  man.  And  to 
think  of  a  dining-room  being  called  a  Sally — " 

The  convent  clock  struck  one. 

"Now,"  said  I,  "standby." 

I  held  up  the  lamp,  and  so  turned  the  darkened 
part  as  to  produce  two  flashes.  A  moment  after,  a 
tiny  flame  showed  and  vanished  above  the  balcony. 

"My  brave  darling!"  I  exclaimed.  "Have  you 
the  ladder  in  your  hand?" 

"  Ay,  sir." 

"  Mind  those  confounded  hooks  don't  clink." 


A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA.  19 

We  stepped  across  the  sward,  and  stood  under  the 
balcony. 

"  Grace,  my  darling,  is  that  you? "  I  called,  in  a 
low  voice. 

"  Yes,  Herbert.  Oh,  please  be  quick.  I  am  fancy- 
ing I  hear  footsteps.  My  heart  is  scarcely  beating 
for  fright." 

But,  despite  the  tremble  in  her  sweet  voice,  my  ear 
seemed  to  find  strength  of  purpose  enough  in  it  to 
satisfy  me  that  there  would  be  no  failure  from  want 
of  courage  on  her  part.  I  could  just  discern  the  out- 
line of  her  figure,  as  she  leaned  over  the  balcony,  and 
see  the  white  of  her  face  vague  as  a  fancy. 

"  My  darling,  lower  the  line  to  pull  the  ladder  up 
with.  Very  softly,  my  pet;  there  are  iron  hooks 
which  make  a  noise." 

In  a  few  moments  she  called,  "  I  have  lowered  the 
line." 

I  felt  about  with  my  hand,  and  grasped  the  end  of 
it — a  piece  of  twine,  but  strong  enough  to  support  the 
ladder.  The  deep,  bloodhound-like  baying  of  the 
dog  recommenced,  and  at  the  same  time  I  heard  the 
sound  of  footsteps  in  the  lane. 

"Hist!  Not  a  stir — not  a  whisper,"  I  breathed 
out. 

It  was  the  staggering  step  of  a  drunken  man.  He 
broke  maudliniy  into  a  song  when  immediately  abreast 
of  us,  ceased  his  noise  suddenly,  and  halted.  This 
was  a  little  passage  of  agony,  I  can  assure  you.  The 
dog  continued  to  utter  its  sullen,  deep-throated  bark, 
in  single  strokes,  like  the  beat  of  a  bell.  Presently 


20  A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA, 

there  was  a  sound  as  of  the  scrambling  and  scrunch- 
ing of  feet,  followed  by  the  noise  of  a  lurching  tread; 
the  man  fell  to  drunkenly  singing  to  himself  again, 
and  so  passed  away  up  the  lane. 

Caudel  fastened  the  end  of  the  twine  to  the  ladder, 
and  then  grunted  out,  "All  ready  for  hoisting." 

"Grace,  my  sweet,"  I  whispered,  "do  you  hear 
me?" 

"  Distinctly,  dearest;  but  I  am  so  frightened!" 

"  Pull  up  this  ladder  softly,  and  hook  the  irons  on 
to  the  rim  of  the  balcony." 

"  Blast  that  dawg!"  growled  Caudel.  "  Damned  if 
I  don't  think  he  smells  us!" 

"It  is  hooked;  Herbert." 

"  All  right.  Caudel,  swing  off  upon  the  end  of  it — 
test  it,  and  then  aloft  with  you,  for  mercy's  sake!" 

The  three  metal  rings  held  the  ropes  bravely 
stretched  apart.  The  seaman  sprung,  and  the  ladder 
held  as  though  it  had  been  the  shrouds  of  a  man-of- 
war. 

"  Now,  Caudel,  you  are  a  seaman ;  you  must  do  the 
rest,"  said  I. 

He  had  removed  his  boots,  and,  mounting  with 
cat-like  agility,  gained  the  balcony;  then  taking  my 
sweetheart  in  his  arms,  he  lifted  her  over  the  rail  and 
lowered  her  with  his  powerful  arms,  until  her  little 
feet  were  half-way  down  the  ladder.  She  uttered  one 
or  two  faint  exclamations,  but  was  happily  too  fright- 
ened to  cry  out. 

"  Now,  Mr.  Barclay,"  hoarsely  whispered  Caudel, 
"you  kitch  hold  of  her,  sir." 


A    MARRIAGE    AT   SEA.  21 

I  grasped  the  ladder  with  one  hand  and  passed  my 
arm  round  her  waist;  my  stature  made  the  feat  an 
easy  one;  thus  holding  her  to  me,  I  sprung  back;  then 
for  an  instant  strained  her  to  my  heart  with  a  whisper 
of  joy,  gratitude,  and  encouragement. 

"You  are  as  brave  as  you  are  true  and  sweet, 
Grace." 

"Oh,  Herbert!"  she  panted.  "I  can  think  of 
nothing.  I  am  very  wicked,  and  feel  horribly  fright- 
ened." 

"  Mr.  Barclay,"  softly  called  Caudel  from  the  bal- 
cony, "  what's  to  be  done  with  this  here  ladder?" 

"  Let  it  be,  let  it  be,"  I  answered.  "  Bear  a  hand, 
Caudel,  and  come  down." 

He  was  alongside  of  us  in  a  trice,  pulling  on  his 
boots.  I  held  my  darling's  hand,  and  the  three  of  us 
made  for  the  hole  in  the  hedge  with  all  possible  speed. 
But  the  cabbages  were  very  much  in  the  way  of 
Grace's  dress,  and  so  urgent  was  the  need  to  make 
haste,  that  I  believe,  in  my  fashion  of  helping  her,  I 
carried  her  one  way  or  another  more  than  half  the 
distance  across  that  wide  tract  of  kitchen-garden 
stuff. 

The  dog  continued  to  bark.  I  asked  Grace  if  the 
brute  belonged  to  the  house,  and  she  answered  yes. 
There  seemed  little  doubt,  from  the  persistency  of  the 
creature's  deep  delivery,  that  it  scented  mischief  going 
forward,  despite  its  kennel  standing  some  considera- 
ble distance  away,  on  the  other  side  of  the  house.  I 
glanced  back  as  Caudel  was  squeezing  through  the 
hole — I  had  told  him  to  go  first,  to  make  sure  that  all 


22  A    MARRIAGE    AT   SEA. 

was  right  with  the  aperture,  and  to  receive  and  help 
my  sweetheart  across  the  ditch — I  glanced  back,  I  say, 
in  this  brief  pause;  but  the  building  showed  as  an  im- 
penetrable shadow  against  the  winking  brilliance  of 
the  sky  hovering  over  and  past  it,  rich  with  radiance 
in  places  of  meteoric  dust;  no  light  gleamed;  the  night- 
hush,  deep  as  death,  was  upon  the  chateau. 

In  a  few  moments  my  captain  and  I  had  carefully 
handed  Grace  through  the  hole  and  got  her  safe  in 
the  lane,  and  off  we  started,  keeping  well  in  the  deep 
gloom  cast  by  the  convent  wall,  walking  swiftly,  yet 
noiselessly,  and  scarcely  fetching  our  breath  till  we 
were  clear  of  the  lane,  with  the  broad  glimmering 
St.  Omer  road  running  in  a  rise  upon  our  left. 


II. 


By  the  aid  of  the  three  or  four  lamp-posts  we  had 
passed,  I  managed  very  early  to  get  a  view  of  my 
sweetheart,  and  found  that  she  had  warmly  robed  her- 
self in  a  fur-trimmed  jacket,  and  that  her  hat  was  a 
sort  of  turban,  as  though  chosen  from  her  wardrobe 
with  a  view  to  her  passage  through  the  hole  in  the 
ledge.  I  had  her  hand  under  my  arm,  and  pressed 
and  caressed  it  as  we  walked.  Caudel,  taking  the 
earth  with  sailorly  strides,  bowled  and  rolled  along  at 
her  right,  keeping  her  between  us.  I  spoke  to  her  in 
hasty  sentences,  forever  praising  her  for  her  courage, 
and  thanking  her  for  her  love,  and  trying  to  hearten 
her;  for,  now  that  the  first  desperate  step  had  been 
taken,  now  that  the  wild  risks  of  escape  were  ended, 
the  spirit  that  supported  her  had  failed;  she  could 
scarcely  answer  me;  at  moments  she  would  direct 
looks  over  her  shoulder;  the  mere  figure  of  a  tree 
would  cause  her  to  tighten  her  hold  of  my  arm. 

"I  feel  so  wicked!  I  feel  that  I  ought  to  return! 
Oh,  how  frightened  I  am!  how  late  it  is!  What  will 
ma'm'selle  think?  How  the  girls  will  talk  in  the 
morning!  " 

I  could  coax  no  more  than  this  sort  of  exclamation 
from  her. 

As  we  passed   through   the   gate  in  the  rampart 

(23) 


24  A   MARRIAGE   AT   SEA. 

walls  and  entered  the  Haute  Ville,  my  captain  broke 
the  silence  he  had  kept  since  we  quitted  the  lane. 

"  How  little  do  the  folks  who's  a-sleeping  in  them 
houses  know,  Mr.  Barclay,  of  what's  a-passing  under 
their  noses!  There  ain't  no  sort  of  innocence  like 
sleep." 

He  said  this  and  yawned  with  a  noise  that  resem- 
bled a  shout. 

"This  is  Captain  Caudel,  Grace,"  said  I,  "the 
master  of  the  Spitfire.  His  services  to-night  I  shall 
never  forget." 

"  I  am  too  frightened  to  thank  you,  Captain  Cau- 
del," she  exclaimed.  <c  I  will  thank  you  when  I  am 
calm.  But  shall  I  ever  be  calm?  And  ought  I  to 
thank  you  then? " 

"  Have  no  fear,  miss.  This  here  oneasiness'll  soon 
pass.  I  know  the  yarn;  his  honor  spun  it  to  me. 
What's  been  done,  and  what's  yet  to  do,  is  right  and 
proper;  if  it  worn't — "  his  pause  was  more  significant 
than  had  he  proceeded. 

Until  we  reached  the  harbor  we  did  not  encounter 
a  living  creature.  I  could  never  have  imagined  of  the 
old  town  of  Boulogne  that  its  streets,  late  even  as  the 
hour  was,  would  be  so  utterly  deserted  as  we  found 
them.  I  was  satisfied  with  my  judgment  in  not  hav- 
ing ordered  a  carriage.  The  rattling  of  the  wheels  of 
a  vehicle  amid  the  vault-like  stillness  of  those  thor- 
oughfares would  have  been  heart-subduing  to  my 
mood  of  passionately  nervous  anxiety  to  get  on  board 
and  away.  I  should  have  figured  windows  flung  open, 
and  night-capped  heads  projected,  and  heard  in  imag- 


A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA.  25 

ination  the  clanking  saber  of  a  gendarme  trotting  in 
our  wake. 

I  did  not  breathe  freely  till  the  harbor  lay  before 
us.  Caudel  said,  as  we  crossed  to  where  the  flight  of 
steps  fell  to  the  water's  edge: 

"I  believe  there's  a  little  air  of  wind  moving." 

"I  feel  it,"  I  answered.     "What's  its  quarter?" 

"Seems  to  me  off  the  land,"  said  he. 

"  There  is  a  man!  "  cried  Grace,  arresting  me  by  a 
drag  at  my  arm. 

A  figure  stood  at  the  head  of  the  steps,  and  I 
believed  it  one  of  our  men,  until  a  few  strides  brought 
us  near  enough  to  witness  the  gleam  of  a  uniform 
showing  by  the  pale  light  of  a  lamp  at  a  short  dis- 
tance from  him. 

"  A  douanier"  said  I.  "  Nothing  to  be  afraid  of, 
my  pet." 

"But  if  he  should  stop  us,  Herbert?"  cried  she, 
halting. 

"  Sooner  than  that  should  happen,"  rumbled 
Caudel,  "  I'd  chuck  him  overboard.  But  why  should 
he  stop  us,  miss?  We  ain't  smugglers." 

"  I  would  rather  throw  myself  into  the  water  than 
be  taken  back,"  exclaimed  my  sweetheart. 

I  gently  induced  her  to  walk,  while  my  captain, 
advancing  to  the  edge  of  the  quay  and  looking  down, 
sung  out: 

"  Below  there!     Are  ye  awake? " 

"  Ay,  wide  awake,"  was  the  answer,  floating  up  in 
hearty  English  accents  from  the  cold,  dark  surface 
on  which  the  boat  lay. 


26  A    MARRIAGE    AT   SEA. 

The  douamer  drew  back  a  few  steps;  it  was  im- 
possible to  see  his  face,  but  his  steadfast  suspicious 
regard  was  to  be  imagined.  I  have  no  doubt  he  un- 
derstood exactly  what  was  happening.  He  asked  us 
the  name  of  our  vessel.  I  answered,  in  French,  "  The 
small  yacht,  Spitfire,  lying  astern  of  the  Folkestone 
steamer."  Nothing  more  passed,  and  we  descended 
the  steps. 

I  felt  Grace  shiver  as  I  handed  her  into  the  boat. 
The  oars  dipped,  striking  a  dim  cloud  of  phosphor 
into  the  eddies  they  made;  and  a  few  strokes  of  the 
blade  carried  us  to  the  low  side  of  the  little  Spitfire.  I 
sprung  on  to  the  deck,  and  lifting  my  darling  through 
the  gangway,  called  to  Caudel  to  make  haste  to  get 
the  boat  in  and  start,  for  the  breeze  that  had  before 
been  little  more  than  a  fancy  to  us  I  could  now  hear 
as  it  brushed  the  surface  of  the  harbor  wall,  making 
the  reflection  of  the  larger  stars  in  the  water  alongside 
twinkle  and  widen  out,  and  putting  a  perfume  of  fresh 
sea-weed  into  the  atmosphere,  though  the  draught, 
such  as  it  was,  came  from  a  malodorous  quarter. 

I  led  Grace  to  the  little  companion-hatch,  and  to- 
gether we  entered  the  cabin.  The  lamp  burned 
brightly,  the  skylight  lay  open,  and  the  interior  was 
cool  and  sweet  with  several  pots  of  flowers  which  I 
had  sent  aboard  in  the  afternoon.  It  was  but  a  little 
box  of  a  place,  as  you  will  suppose  of  a  dandy  craft 
of  twenty-six  tons;  but  I  had  not  spared  my  purse  in 
decorating  it,  and  I  believe  no  prettier  interior  of  the 
kind  in  a  vessel  of  the  size  of  the  Spitfire  was  in  those 
times  afloat.  There  were  two  sleeping-rooms,  one 


A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA.  27 

forward  and  one  aft.  The  after-cabin  was  little  better 
than  a  hole,  and  this  I  occupied.  The  berth  forward, 
on  the  other  hand,  was  as  roomy  as  the  dimensions  of 
the  little  ship  would  allow,  and  I  had  taken  care  that 
it  lacked  nothing  to  render  it  a  pleasant — I  may  say 
an  elegant — sea  bedroom.  It  was  to  be  Grace's  until 
I  got  her  ashore;  and  this  I  counted  upon  managing 
in  about  four  days  from  the  date  of  this  night  about 
which  I  am  writing. 

She  stood  at  the  table,  looking  about  her,  breath- 
ing fast,  her  eyes  large  with  alarm,  excitement,  I 
know  not  what  other  sensations  and  emotions.  I 
wish  I  knew  how  to  praise  her,  how  to  describe  her. 
"Sweet"  is  the  best  word  to  express  her  girlish 
beauty.  Though  she  was  three  months  short  of 
eighteen  years  of  age,  she  might  readily  have  passed 
for  twenty-one,  so  womanly  was  her  figure,  as  though 
indeed  she  was  tropic-bred  and  had  been  reared 
under  suns  which  quickly  ripen  a  maiden's  beauty. 
But  to  say  more  would  be  to  say  what?  The  liquid 
brown  of  her  large  and  glowing  eyes,  the  dark  and 
delicate  bronze  of  her  rich  abundant  hair,  the  sugges- 
tion of  a  pout  in  the  turn  of  her  lip  that  gave  an 
incomparable  air  of  archness  to  her  expression  when 
her  countenance  was  in  repose — to  enumerate  these 
things,  to  deliver  a  catalogue  of  her  graces  in  the 
most  felicitous  language  that  love  and  the  memory  of 
love  could  dictate,  is  yet  to  leave  all  that  I  could  wish 
to  say  unsaid. 

"At  last,  Grace!  "  I  exclaimed,  lifting  her  hand  to 
my  lips.  "  How  is  it  with  you  now,  my  pet?" 


28  A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA. 

She  seated  herself  and  hid  her  face  in  her  hands 
upon  the  table,  saying,  "  I  don't  know  how  I  feel, 
Herbert.  I  know  how  I  ought  to  feel." 

"Wait  a  little.  You  will  regain  your  courage. 
You  will  find  nothing  wrong  in  all  this  presently.  It 
was  bound  to  happen.  There  was  not  the  least  occa- 
sion for  this  business  of  rope-ladders  and  midnight 
sailings.  It  is  Lady  Amelia  who  forces  this  elope- 
ment upon  us." 

"  What  will  she  say? "  she  breathed  through  her 
fingers,  still  keeping  her  face  hidden  to  conceal  the 
crimson  that  had  flushed  her  on  a  sudden  and  that 
was  showing  to  the  rim  of  her  collar. 

"Do  you  care?  Do /care?  We  have  forced  her 
hand,  and  what  can  she  do?  If  you  were  but  twenty- 
one,  Grace! — and  yet  I  don't  know!  you  would  be 
three  years  older — three  years  of  sweetness  gone  for- 
ever! But  the  old  lady  will  have  to  give  her  consent 
now,  and  the  rest  will  be  for  my  cousin  Frank  to 
manage.  Pray  look  at  me,  my  sweet  one." 

"  I  can't.  I  am  ashamed.  It  is  a  most  desperate 
act.  What  will  ma'm'selle  say? — and  your  sailors?" 
she  murmured  from  behind  her  hands. 

"  My  sailors!  Grace,  shall  I  take  you  back  whilst 
there  is  yet  time? " 

She  flashed  a  look  at  me  over  her  finger-tips. 

"  Certainly  not! "  she  exclaimed,  with  emphasis, 
then  hid  her  face  again. 

I  seated  myself  by  her  side,  but  it  took  me  five 
minutes  to  get  her  to  look  at  me,  and  another  five 
minutes  to  coax  a  smile  from  her.  In  this  while  the 


A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA.  29 

men  were  busy  about  the  decks.  I  heard  Caudel's 
growling  lungs  of  leather  delivering  orders  in  a  half- 
stifled  hurricane  note,  but  I  did  not  know  that  we 
were  under  way  until  I  put  my  head  through  the 
companion-hatch  and  saw  the  dusky  fabrics  of  the 
piers  on  either  side  stealing  almost  insensibly  past  us. 
Now  that  the  wide  expanse  of  sky  had  opened  over 
the  land,  I  could  witness  a  dimness  as  of  the  shadow- 
ing of  clouds  in  the  quarter  against  which  stood  the 
block  of  the  cathedral. 

"What  is  the  weather  to  be,  Caudel?"  I  called  to 
him. 

"  We're  going  to  get  a  breeze  from  the  south'ard, 
sir,"  he  answered;  "  nothin'  to  harm,  I  dessay,  if  it 
don't  draw  westerly." 

"  What  is  your  plan  of  sailing? " 

"  Can't  do  better,  I  think,  sir,  than  stand  over  tor 
the  English  coast,  and  so  run  down,  keeping  the  ports 
conveniently  aboard." 

I  re-entered  the  cabin,  and  found  my  sweetheart 
with  her  elbows  on  the  table  and  her  cheeks  resting 
in  her  hands.  The  blush  had  scarcely  faded  from  her 
face  when  I  had  quitted  her;  now  she  was  as  white 
as  a  lily. 

"Why  do  you  leave  me  alone,  Herbert?"  she 
asked,  turning  her  dark,  liquid  eyes  upon  me  without 
shifting  the  posture  of  her  head. 

"  My  dearest,  I  wish  to  see  our  little  ship  clear  of 
Boulogne  harbor.  We  shall  be  getting  a  pleasant 
breeze  presently,  and  it  can  not  blow  too  hard  to 
please  us.  A  brisk  fair  wind  should  land  ua&tour 


SO  A   MARRIAGE    AT    SEA. 

destination  in  three  days;  and  then — and  then — "  said 
I,  sitting  down  and  bringing  her  to  me. 

She  laid  her  cheek  on  my  shoulder,  but  said  noth- 
ing. 

"Now,"  I  exclaimed,  "you  are,  of  course,  faint 
and  wretched  for  the  want  of  refreshment.  What  can 
I  get  you? "  and  I  was  about  to  give  her  a  list  of  the 
wines  and  eatables  I  had  laid  in,  but  she  languidly 
shook  her  head  as  it  rested  on  my  shoulder  and 
faintly  bade  me  not  to  speak  of  refreshments. 

"I  should  like  to  lie  down,"  she  said. 

"You  are  tired — worn  out,"  I  exclaimed,  not  yet 
seeing  how  it  was  with  her.  "Yonder  is  your  cabin; 
I  believe  you  will  find  all  you  want  in  it.  Unhappily, 
we  have  no  maid  aboard  to  help  you.  But  you  will 
be  able  to  manage,  Grace;  it  is  but  for  a  day  or  two; 
and  if  you  are  not  perfectly  happy  and  comfortable, 
why,  we  will  make  for  the  nearest  English  port  and 
finish  the  rest  of  the  journey  by  rail.  But  our  little 
yacht — " 

"  I  must  lie  down,"  she  interrupted.  "  This  dread- 
ful motion!  Get  me  a  pillow  and  a  rug;  I  will  lie  on 
this  sofa." 

I  could  have  heaped  a  hundred  injurious  names 
upon  my  head  for  not  at  once  observing  that  the  dar- 
ling was  suffering.  I  sprung  from  her  side,  hastily 
procured  a  pillow  and  rug,  removed  her  hat,  plunged 
afresh  into  her  cabin  for  some  eau-de-Cologne,  and 
went  to  work  to  bathe  her  brow  and  to  minister  to 
her  in  other  ways.  To  be  afflicted  with  nausea  in  the 
most  romantic  passage  of  one's  life!  I  had  never 


A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA.  31 

thought  of  inquiring  whether  or  not  she  was  a  "  good 
sailor,"  as  it  is  called,  being  much  too  sentimental,  far 
too  much  in  love,  to  be  visited  by  misgivings  or  con- 
jectures in  a  direction  so  horribly  prosaic  as  this. 

It  was  some  time  after  three  o'clock  in  the  morning 
when  Grace  fell  asleep.  The  heave  of  the  vessel  had 
entirely  conquered  emotion.  She  had  had  no  smile 
for  me;  the  handkerchief  she  held  to  her  mouth  had 
kept  her  lips  sealed;  but  her  eyes  were  never  more 
beautiful  than  now,  with  their  languishing  expression 
of  suffering,  and  I  could  not  remove  my  gaze  from  her 
face,  so  exceedingly  sweet  did  she  look  as  she  lay  with 
the  rich  bronze  of  her  hair  glittering,  as  though  gold- 
dusted,  to  the  lamp-light,  and  her  brow  showing  with 
an  ivory  gleam  through  the  tresses  which  shadowed  it 
in  charming  disorder. 

She  fell  asleep  at  last,  breathing  quietly,  and  I  can 
not  tell  how  it  comforted  me  to  find  her  able  to  sleep, 
for  now  I  might  hope  it  would  not  take  many  hours  of 
rest  to  qualify  her  as  a  sailor.  In  all  this  time  that  I 
had  been  below  refreshing  her  brow  and  attending  to 
her,  and  watching  her  as  a  picture  of  which  my  sight 
could  never  grow  weary,  the  breeze  had  freshened, 
and  the  yacht  was  heeling  to  it,  and  taking  the 
wrinkled  sides  of  the  swell — that  grew  heavier  as  we 
widened  the  offing — with  the  shearing,  hissing  sweep 
that  one  notices  in  a  steam  launch.  Grace  lay  on  a 
lee  locker,  and,  as  the  weather-rolls  of  the  little  Spit- 
fire were  small,  there  was  no  fear  of  ray  sweetheart 
slipping  off  the  couch. 

And  now  I  must  tell  you  here  that  my  little  dandy 


32  A   MARRIAGE   AT    SEA. 

yacht  the  Spitfire  was  so  brave,  stanch,  and  stout  a 
craft  that,  though  I  am  no  lover  of  the  sea  in  its 
angry  moods,  and  especially  have  no  relish  for  such 
experiences  as  one  is  said  to  encounter,  for  instance, 
off  Cape  Horn,  yet  such  was  my  confidence  in  her 
seaworthiness,  I  should  have  been  quite  willing  to  sail 
round  the  world  in  her  had  the  necessity  for  so 
tedious  an  adventure  arisen.  She  had  been  built  as  a 
smack,  but  was  found  too  fast  for  trawling,  and  the 
owner  offered  her  as  a  bargain.  I  purchased  and  re- 
equipped  her,  little  dreaming  that  she  was  one  day  to 
win  me  a  wife.  I  improved  her  cabin  accommodation, 
handsomely  furnished  her  within,  and  caused  her  to 
be  sheathed  with  yellow  metal  to  the  bends  and  to  be 
embellished  with  gilt  at  the  stern  and  quarters.  She 
had  a  fine  bold  spring  or  rise  of  deck  forward,  with 
abundance  of  beam  which  warranted  her  for  stability; 
but  her  submerged  lines  were  extraordinarily  fine,  and 
I  can  not  recollect  the  name  of  a  pleasure-craft  at  that 
time  which  I  should  not  have  been  willing  to  chal- 
lenge whether  for  a  fifty  or  a  thousand  mile  race. 
She  was  rigged  as  a  dandy— a  term  that  no  reader,  I 
hope,  will  want  me  to  explain. 

I  stood,  cigar  in  mouth,  looking  up  at  her  canvas 
and  round  upon  the  dark  scene  of  ocean,  while,  the 
lid  of  the  skylight  being  a  little  way  open,  I  was 
almost  within  arm's-reach  of  my  darling,  whose  light- 
est call  would  reach  my  ear,  or  least  movement  take 
my  eye.  The  stars  were  dim  away  over  the  port 
quarter,  and  I  could  distinguish  the  outlines  of  clouds 
hanging  in  dusky  vaporous  bodies  over  the  black  mass 


A   MARRIAGE    AT    SEA.  33 

of  the  coast  dotted  with  lights  where  Boulogne  lay, 
with  Cape  Gris  Nez  lantern  flashing  on  high  from  its 
shoulder  of  land  that  blended  in  a  dye  of  ink  with  the 
gloom  of  the  horizon.  There  were  little  runs  of  froth 
in  the  ripple  of  the  water,  with  now  and  again  a  phos- 
phoric glancing  that  instinctively  sent  the  eye  to  the 
dimness  in  the  west,  as  though  it  were  sheet-lightning 
there  which  was  being  reflected.  Broad  abeam  was  a 
large  gloomy  collier  "  reaching  "  in  for  Boulogne  har- 
bor; she  showed  a  gaunt,  ribbed,  and  heeling  figure, 
with  her  yards  almost  fore  and  aft,  and  not  a  hint  of 
life  aboard  her  in  the  form  of  light  or  noise. 

I  felt  sleepless — never  so  broad  awake,  despite  this 
business  now  in  hand  that  had  robbed  me  for  days 
past  of  hour  after  hour  of  slumber,  so  that  I  may 
safely  say  I  had  scarcely  enjoyed  six  hours  of  solid 
sleep  in  as  many  days.  Caudel  still  grasped  the  tiller, 
and  forward  was  one  of  the  men  restlessly  but  noise- 
lessly pacing  the  little  forecastle.  The  hiss  of  the 
froth  at  the  yacht's  forefoot  threw  a  shrewd  bleakness 
to  the  light  pouring  off  the  off-shore  wind,  and  I  but- 
toned up  my  coat  as  I  turned  to  Caudel,  though  ex- 
citement worked  much  too  hotly  in  my  soul  to  surfer 
me  to  feel  conscious  of  the  cold. 

"This  breeze  will  do,  Caudel,  if  it  holds,"  said  I, 
approaching  him  by  a  stride  or  two,  that  my  voice 
should  not  disturb  Grace. 

"Ay,  sir,  it  is  as  pretty  a  little  air  as  could  be  asked 
for." 

"  What  light  is  that  away  out  yonder?" 

"The  Varne,  your  honor." 
3 


34  A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA. 

"  And  where  are  you  carrying  the  little  ship  to?" 
said  I,  looking  at  the  illuminated  disk  of  compass- 
card  that  swung  in  the  short  brass  binnacle  under  his 
nose. 

"  Ye  see  the  course,  Mr.  Barclay — west  by  nothe. 
That'll  fetch  Beachy  Head  for  us;  afterward  a  small 
shift  of  the  hellum'll  put  the  Channel  under  our  bows, 
keeping  the  British  ports  as  we  go  along  handy,  so 
that  if  your  honor  don't  like  the  look  of  the  bayrom- 
eter,  why,  there's  always  a  harbor  within  a  easy  sail." 

I  was  quite  willing  that  Caudel  should  heave  the 
English  land  into  sight.  He  had  been  bred  in  coast- 
ers, and  knew  his  way  about  by  the  mere  smell  of  the 
shore,  as  the  sailors  say;  whereas,  put  him  in  the  mid- 
dle of  the  ocean,  with  nothing  but  his  sextant  to  de- 
pend upon,  and  I  do  not  know  that  I  should  have  felt 
very  sure  of  him. 

He  coughed,  and  seemed  to  mumble  to  himself  as 
he  ground  upon  the  piece  of  tobacco  in  his  cheek, 
then  said,  "  And  how's  the  young  lady  a-doing,  sir?" 

"  The  motion  of  the  vessel  rendered  her  somewhat 
uneasy,  but  she  is  now  sleeping." 

"Sorry  to  hear  she  don't  feel  well,  sir,"  he  exclaim- 
ed; "but  this  here  sea-sickness,  I'm  told,  soon  passes." 

"  I  want  her  to  be  well,"  said  I.  "  I  wish  her  to 
enjoy  the  run  down-channel.  We  must  not  go  ashore 
if  we  can  help  it,  or  one  special  object  I  have  in  my 
mind  will  be  defeated." 

"  Shall  I  keep  the  yacht  well  out,  then,  sir?  No 
need  to  draw  in,  if  so  be — " 

"  No,  no;  sight  the  coast,  Caudel,  and  give  us  a 


A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA.  35 

view  of  the  scenery.  And  now,  while  I  have  the 
chance,  let  me  thank  you  heartily  for  the  service  you 
have  done  me  to-night.  I  should  have  been  helpless 
without  you;  what  other  man  of  my  crew — what  other 
man  of  any  sort,  indeed — could  I  have  depended 
upon?" 

"  Oh,  don't  mention  it,  Mr.  Barclay,  sir;  I  beg  and 
entreat  that  you  worn't  mention  it,  sir,"  he  replied,  as 
though  affected  by  my  condescension.  "  You're  a 
gentleman,  sir,  begging  your  pardon,  and  that  means 
a  man  of  honor;  and  when  you  told  me  how  things 
stood,  why,  putting  all  dooty  on  one  side,  if  so  be  as 
there  canbe  such  a  thing  as  dooty  in  jobs  which  aren't 
ship-shape  and  proper,  why,  I  says,  of  course  I  was 
willing  to  be  of  use.  Not  that  I  myself  have  much 
confidence  in  these  here  '  elopements,'  saving  your 
presence.  I've  got  a  grown-up  darter  myself  in  sar- 
vice,  and  if  when  she  gits  married  she  dorn't  make  a 
straight  course  for  the  meeting-house,  why,  then  I 
shall  have  to  talk  to  her  as  she's  never  yet  been  talked 
to.  But  in  this  job" — he  swung  off  from  the  tiller  to 
expectorate  over  the  rail — "  what  the  young  lady's 
been  and  gone  and  done  is  what  I  should  say  to  my 
darter  or  any  other  young  woman,  the  sarcumstances 
being  the  same,  '  Go  thou  and  dew  likewise.'  " 

"  You  see,  Caudel,  there  was  no  hope  of  getting 
her  ladyship's  consent." 

"No,  sir." 

"  Then  consider  the  cruelty  of  sending  the  young 
lady  to  a  foreign  school  for  no  fairer  and  kinder  rea- 
son than  to  remove  her  out  of  my  way." 


36  A   MARRIAGE   AT   SEA. 

"  I  onderstand,  sir;  and  I'm  of  opinion  it  was  quite 
time  the  little  game  was  stopped." 

"  Lady  Amelia  Roscoe  is  a  Roman  Catholic,  and 
very  bigoted.  Ever  since  she  first  took  charge  of 
Miss  Bellassys  she  has  been  trying  to  convert  her, 
and  by  methods,  I  assure  you,  by  no  means  uniformly 
kind." 

"So  you  was  a-saying,  sir." 

It  pleased  me  to  be  thus  candid  with  this  sailor. 
Possibly  there  was  in  me  a  little  disturbing  sense  of 
the  need  of  justifying  myself,  though  I  believe  the 
most  acidulated  moralist  could  not  have  glanced 
through  the  skylight  without  feeling  that  I  heartily 
deserved  forgiveness. 

"But  supposing,  Mr.  Barclay,  sir,"  continued  Cau- 
del,  "that_y0wV  ha'  changed  your  religion  and  became 
a  papish,  would  her  ladyship  still  ha"  gone  on  object- 
ing to  ye?" 

"  Supposing!  Yes,  Caudel,  she  would  have  gone 
on  objecting  even  then.  There  are  family  feelings, 
family  traditions,  mixed  up  in  her  dislike  of  me.  You 
shall  have  the  yarn  before  we  go  ashore.  It  is  right 
that  you  should  know  the  whole  truth.  Until  I  make 
that  young  lady  below  my  wife,  she  is  as  much  under 
your  care  as  under  mine.  That  was  agreed  on 
between  us,  and  that  you  know." 

"  That  I  do  know,  and  shall  remember,  as  much  for 
her  sake  as  for  yourn  and  mine,"  answered  the  honest 
fellow,  with  a  note  of  deep  feeling  in  his  voice. 
"There's  only  one  consideration,  Mr.  Barclay,  that 
worrits  me.  I  onderstand  you  to  say,  sir,  that  your 


A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA.  37 

honor  has  a  cousin  who's  a  clergyman  that's  willing 
to  marry  ye  right  away  out  of  hand." 

"  We  must  get  the  consent  of  the  aunt  first." 

"There  it  is!"  cried  he,  smiting  the  head  of  the 
tiller  with  his  clinched  fist.  "Suppose  she  dorn't 
consent? " 

"  We  have  taken  this  step,"  said  I,  softly,  always 
afraid  of  disturbing  my  sweetheart,  "  to  force  her  to 
consent.  D'ye  think  she  can  refuse  after  she  hears  of 
this  elopement — this  midnight  rope-ladder  business — 
and  the  days  we  hope  to  spend  together  on  this  little 
Spitfire  1" 

"  Still,  Mr.  Barclay,  supposing  she  do,  sir?  You'll 
forgive  me  for  saying  of  it;  but  supposing  she  do,  sir? " 

"  No  good  in  supposing,  Caudel,"  said  I,  suppress- 
ing a  little  movement  of  irritation;  "no  good  in 
obstructing  one's  path  by  suppositions  stuck  up  like 
so  many  fences  to  stop  one  from  advancing.  Our 
first  business  is  to  get  to  Penzance." 

By  his  motions,  and  the  uneasy  shifting  of  his 
posture,  he  discovered  himself  ill  at  ease,  but  his 
respectfulness  would  not  suffer  him  to  persevere  with 
his  inquiries. 

"Caudel,"  said  I,  "you  may  ask  me  any  questions 
you  please.  The  more  you  show  yourself  really  anx- 
ious on  behalf  of  Miss  Bellassys,  the  more  shall  I 
honor  you.  Don't  fear.  I  shall  never  interpret  your 
concern  for  her  into  a  doubt  of  me.  If  Lady  Amelia 
absolutely  refuses  her  sanction,  what  then  remains 
but  to  place  Miss  Bellassys  with  my  sister  and  wait 
till  she  comes  of  age? " 


38  A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA. 

So  speaking,  and  now  considering  that  I  had  said 
enough,  I  threw  the  end  of  my  cigar  overboard  and 
went  below. 

It  was  daylight  shortly  before  six,  but  the  gray  of 
the  dawn  brightened  into  sunrise  before  Grace  awoke. 
Throughout  the  hours  she  had  slept  without  a  stir. 
From  time  to  time  I  had  dozed,  chin  on  breast,  oppo- 
site to  where  she  lay.  The  wind  had  freshened,  and 
the  yacht  was  lying  well  down  to  it,  swarming  along, 
taking  buoyantly  the  little  sea  that  had  risen,  and 
filling  the  breeze  that  was  musical  with  the  harmonies 
of  the  taut  rigging  with  the  swift  noise  of  seething 
water.  The  square  of  heavens  showing  in  the  sky- 
light overhead  wore  a  hard,  marbled,  windy  look,  but 
the  pearl-colored  streaks  of  vapor  floated  high  and 
motionless,  and  I  was  yachtsman  enough  to  gather 
from  what  I  saw  that  there  was  nothing  more  in  all 
this  than  a  fresh  Channel  morning,  and  a  sweep  of 
southerly  wind  that  was  driving  the  Spitfire  along  her 
course  at  some  eight  or  nine  miles  in  the  hour. 

As  the  misty  pink  flash  of  the  upper  limb  of  the 
rising  sun  struck  the  skylight  and  made  a  very  prism 
of  the  little  cabin,  with  its  mirrors  and  silver  lamp 
and  glass  and  brass  ornamentation,  Grace  opened  her 
eyes.  She  opened  them  straight  upon  me,  and  while 
I  might  have  counted  ten  she  continued  to  stare  as 
though  she  were  in  a  trance;  then  the  blood  flooded 
her  pale  cheeks,  her  eyes  grew  brilliant  with  astonish- 
ment, and  she  sat  erect,  bringing  her  hands  to  her 
temples  as  though  she  struggled  to  re-collect  her 
wits.  However,  it  was  not  long  before  she  rallied, 


A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA.  39 

though   for  some   few   moments  her  face  remained 
empty  of  intelligence. 

"Why,  Grace,  my  darling,"  I  cried,  "do  not  you 
know  where  you  are?" 

"Yes,  now  I  do,"  she  answered;  "but  I  thought  I  had 
gone  mad  when  I  first  awoke  and  looked  around  me." 

"  You  have  slept  soundly;  but  then  you  are  a  child," 
said  I. 

"  Whereabouts  are  we,  Herbert? " 
"I  can   not  tell  for  sure,"  I  answered;  "out  of 
sight  of  land,  any  way.     But  where  you  are,  Grace, 
you  ought  to  know." 

A  few  caresses,  and  then  her  timid  glances  began 
to  show  like  the  old  looks  in  her.  I  asked  if  the 
movement  of  the  yacht  rendered  her  uneasy,  and  after 
a  pause,  during  which  she  considered  with  a  grave 
face,  she  answered  no;  she  felt  better,  she  must  try 
to  stand;  and  so  saying,  she  stood  up  on  the  swaying 
deck,  and  smiling,  with  her  fine  eyes  fastened  upon 
my  face,  poised  her  figure  in  a  floating  way  full  of  a 
grace  far  above  dancing,  to  my  fancy.  Her  gaze 
went  to  a  mirror,  and  I  easily  interpreted  her  thoughts, 
though  for  my  part  I  found  her  beauty  improved  by 
her  roughened  hair. 

"  There  is  your  cabin,"  said  I.  "  The  door  is 
behind  those  curtains.  Take  a  peep  and  tell  me  if  it 
pleases  you." 

There  were  flowers  in  it  to  sweeten  the  atmosphere, 
and  every  imaginable  convenience  that  it  was  possible 
for  a  male  imagination  to  hit  upon,  in  its  efforts  in  a 
direction  of  this  sort.  She  praised  the  little  berth 


40  A   MARRIAGE    AT   SEA. 

and  closed  the  door  with  a  smile  at  me  that  made  me 
conjecture  I  should  not  hear  much  more  from  her 
about  our  imprudence,  the  impropriety  of  our  con- 
duct, what  ma'm'selle  would  think,  and  what  the 
school-girls  would  say. 

Though  she  was  but  a  child,  as  I  would  tell  her,  I 
too  was  but  a  boy,  for  the  matter  of  that,  and  her 
smile  and  the  look  she  had  given  me,  and  her  praise 
of  the  little  berth  I  had  fitted  up  for  her,  made  me 
feel  so  boyishly  joyous  that,  like  a  boy  as  I  was, 
though  above  six  feet  tall,  I  fell  a-whistling  out  of  my 
high  spirits,  and  then  kissed  the  feather  in  her  hat, 
and  her  gloves,  which  lay  upon  the  table,  afterward 
springing  in  a  couple  of  bounds  on  deck,  where  I 
stood  roaring  out  for  Bobby  Allett. 

A  seaman  named  Job  Crew  was  at  the  helm.  Two 
others,  named  Jim  Foster  and  Dick  File,  were  wash- 
ing down  the  decks.  I  asked  Crew  where  Caudel 
was,  and  he  told  me  he  had  gone  below  to  shave.  I 
bawled  again  for  Bobby  Allett,  and,  after  a  moment 
or  two,  he  rose  through  the  forecastle  hatch.  He  was 
a  youth  of  about  fifteen  who  had  been  shipped  by 
Caudel  to  serve  as  steward  or  cabin-boy  and  to  make 
himself  generally  useful  besides.  As  he  approached  I 
eyed  him  with  some  misgiving,  though  I  had  found 
nothing  to  object  to  in  him  before;  but  the  presence 
of  my  sweetheart  in  the  cabin  had,  I  suppose,  tem- 
pered my  taste  to  a  quality  of  lover-like  fastidiousness, 
and  this  boy  Bobby,  to  my  mind,  looked  dirty. 

"  Do  you  mean  to  wait  upon  me  in  those  clothes  ? " 
said  I. 


A    MARRIAGE    AT   SEA.  41 

"  They're  the  best  I  have,  master,"  he  answered, 
staring  at  me  with  a  pair  of  round  eyes  out  of  a  dingy 
skin  that  was  certainly  not  clarified  by  the  number  of 
freckles  and  pimples  which  decorated  him. 

"You  can  look  smarter  than  that  if  you  like,"  said 
I  to  him.  "  I  want  breakfast  right  away  off.  And  let 
Foster  drop  his  bucket  and  go  to  work  to  boil  and 
cook.  But  tell  Captain  Caudel  also  that  before  you  lay 
aft  you  must  clean  yourself,  polish  your  face,  brush 
your  hair  and  shoes,  and,  if  you  haven't  got  a  clean 
shirt,  you  must  borrow  one." 

The  boy  went  forward. 

"  Pity,"  said  I,  thinking  aloud  rather  than  talking, 
as  I  stepped  to  the  binnacle  to  mark  the  yacht's 
course,  "that  Caudel  should  have  shipped  such  a 
dingy-skinned  chap  as  that  fellow  for  cabin  use." 

"It's  all  along  of  his  own  doing,  sir,"  said  Job 
Crew. 

"  How?    You  mean  he  won't  wash  himself?" 

"  No,  sir;  it's  along  of  smoking." 

"Smoking?"  I  exclaimed. 

"Yes,  sir.  I  know  his  father;  he's  a  waterman. 
His  father  told  me  that  that  there  boy  Bobby  saved  up, 
and  then  laid  out  all  he'd  got  upon  a  meerschaum  pipe 
for  to  color  it.  He  kep'  all  on  a-smoking,  day  arter 
day  and  night  arter  night.  But  his  father  says  to  me 
it  was  no  go,  sir;  'stead  of  his  coloring  the  pipe,  the 
pipe  colored  him,  and  his  weins  have  run  nothin'  but 
tobacco-juice  ever  since." 

I  burst  into  a  laugh,  and  went  to  the  rail  to  take  a 
look  round.  We  might  have  been  in  the  middle  of  the 


42  A    MARRIAGE    AT   SEA. 

Atlantic  Ocean,  so  boundless  did  the  spread  of  waters 
look;  not  a  blob  or  film  of  coast  on  any  hand  of  us 
broke  the  flawless  sweep  of  the  green  circle  of  Channel 
sea.  There  was  a  steady  breeze  off  the  port  beam,  and 
the  yacht,  with  every  cloth  which  she  carried  on  her, 
was  driving  through  it  as  though  she  were  in  tow  of  a 
steamboat. 


III. 

I  stood  leaning  over  the  bulwarks,  humming  no  air. 
Never  had  my  heart  beaten  with  so  exquisite  a  sense 
of  gladness  and  of  happiness  as  now  possessed  it.  I 
was  disturbed  in  a  reverie  of  love,  in  which  were  min- 
gled the  life  and  beauty  of  the  scene  I  surveyed,  by  the 
arrival  of  Caudel.  He  was  varnished  with  soap  and 
blue  with  recent  shaving,  but  in  the  little  sea-blue  eyes 
which  glittered  under  his  somewhat  raggedly  thatched 
brow  there  was  no  trace  of  the  sleepless  hours  I  had 
forced  him  to  pass.  He  was  a  man  about  fifty  years 
of  age;  his  dark  hair  was  here  and  there  of  an  iron 
gray,  and  a  roll  of  short-cut  whiskers  met  in  a  bit  of  a 
beard  upon  the  bone  in  his  throat.  He  carried  a  true 
sea-water  air  in  his  somewhat  bowed  legs,  in  his  slow 
motions,  and  in  his  trick  of  letting  his  arms  hang  up 
and  down  as  though  they  were  pump-handles.  His 
theory  of  dress  was  that  what  kept  out  the  cold  also 
kept  out  the  heat,  and  so  he  never  varied  his  attire — 
which  was  composed  of  a  thick,  double-breasted  waist- 
coat, a  long  pilot-cloth  coat,  a  Scotch  cap,  very  roomy 
pilot-cloth  trousers,  a  worsted  cravat,  and  fishermen's 
stockings. 

I  exchanged  a  few  words  with  him  about  the  boy 
Bobby,  inquired  the  situation  of  the  yacht,  and  after 
some  talk  of  this  kind,  during  which  I  gathered  that 

(43) 


44  A   MARRIAGE    AT   SEA. 

he  was  taking  advantage  of  the  breeze  and  shaping  a 
somewhat  more  westerly  course  than  he  had  at  first 
proposed,  so  that  he  did  not  expect  to  make  the  Eng- 
lish coast  much  before  three  or  four  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon,  I  went  below,  to  refresh  myself  after  the 
laborious  undertaking  of  the  night. 

On  quitting  my  berth  I  found  the  boy  Bobby 
laying  the  cloth  for  breakfast,  and  Grace  seated  on 
a  locker  watching  him.  Her  face  was  pale,  but  its 
expression  was  without  uneasiness.  She  had  put  on 
her  hat,  and  on  seeing  me,  exclaimed: 

"  Herbert,  dear,  take  me  on  deck.  The  fresh  air 
may  revive  me."  And  she  looked  at  the  boy  and  the 
cloth  he  was  laying  with  a  pout  full  of  meaning. 

I  ,at  once  took  her  by  the  hand  and  conducted  her 
through  the  hatch.  She  passed  her  arm  through 
mine  to  balance  herself,  and  then  sent  her  eyes,  bright 
with  nervousness  and  astonishment,  round  the  sea, 
breathing  swiftly. 

"  Where  is  the  land? "  she  asked. 

"  Behind  the  ocean,  my  love.  But  we  shall  be  hav- 
ing a  view  of  the  right  side  of  these  waters  presently." 

"What  a  little  boat!"  she  exclaimed,  running  her 
gaze  over  the  yacht.  "  Is  it  not  dangerous  to  be  in  so 
small  a  vessel  out  of  sight  of  land? " 

"Bless  your  heart,  no!  Think  of  the  early  navi- 
gators! Of  course  ma'm'selle  taught  you  all  about 
the  early  navigators? " 

"  When  shall  we  reach  Penzance?  " 

"  Supposing  the  wind  to  blow  fair  and  briskly,  in 
three  or  four  days." 


A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA.  45 

"Three  or  four  days!  "  she  exclaimed;  and  glanc- 
ing down  at  herself,  she  added,  "  Of  course  you  know, 
Herbert,  that  I  have  only  the  dress  I  am  wearing?  " 

"It  will  last  you  till  we  get  ashore,"  said  I,  laugh- 
ing, "  and  then  you  shall  buy  everything  you  want, 
which  of  course  will  be  more  than  you  want." 

"  I  shall  send,"  said  she,  "to  Ma'm'selle  Champion- 
net  for  my  boxes." 

"Certainly — when  we  are  married.' 

"  All  your  presents,  particularly  the  darling  little 
watch,  are  in  those  boxes,  Herbert." 

"  Everything  shall  be  recovered,  to  the  utmost 
ha'porth,  my  pet." 

I  observed  Caudel,  who  stood  a  little  forward  of 
the  companion,  gazing  at  her  with  an  expression  of 
shyness  and  admiration.  I  told  her  that  he  was  the 
captain  of  the  yacht,  that  he  was  the  man  I  had  in- 
troduced to  her  last  night,  and  begged  her  to  speak 
to  him.  She  colored  a  rose-red,  but  bade  him  good- 
morning,  nevertheless,  accompanying  the  words  with 
an  inclination  of  her  form,  the  graceful  and  easy  dig- 
nity of  which  somehow  made  me  think  of  the  move- 
ment of  a  heavily  foliaged  bough  set  courtesying  by 
the  summer  wind. 

"I  hope,  miss,"  said  Caudel,  pulling  off  his  Scotch 
cap,  "as  how  I  see  you  well  this  morning,  freed  of 
that  there  nausey  as  Mr.  Barclay  was  a-telling  me  you 
suffered  from? " 

"  I  trust  to  get  used  to  the  sea  quickly;  the  motion 
of  the  yacht  is  not  what  I  like,"  she  answered,  with 
her  face  averted  from  him,  taking  a  peep  at  me  to  ob- 


46  A   MARRIAGE    AT   SEA. 

serve  if  I  saw  that  she  felt  ashamed  and  would  not 
confront  him. 

He  perceived  this,  too,  and  knuckling  his  forehead, 
said,  "  It's  but  a  little  of  the  sea  ye  shall  have,  miss, 
if  so  be  as  it  lies  in  my  power  to  keep  this  here  Spitfire 
a-walking."  And,  so  speaking,  he  moved  off,  sing- 
ing out  some  idle  order  as  he  did  so,  by  way  excusing 
his  abrupt  departure. 

"I  wish  we  were  quite  alone,  Herbert,"  said  my 
sweetheart,  drawing  me  to  the  yacht's  rail. 

"  So  do  I,  my  own,  but  not  here;  not  in  the  middle 
of  the  sea." 

"I  did  not  think  of  bringing  a  veil.  Your  men 
stare  so." 

"And  so  do  I,"  said  I,  letting  my  gaze  sink  fair 
into  her  eyes,  which  she  had  upturned  to  me.  "  You 
wouldn't  have  me  rebuke  the  poor  harmless  sailor- 
men  for  doing  what  I  am  every  instant  guilty  of? — 
admiring  you,  I  mean,  to  the  very  topmost  height 
of  my  capacity  in  that  way.  But  here  comes  Master 
Bobby  Allett  with  the  breakfast." 

"  Herbert,  I  could  not  eat  for  worlds." 

"  Are  you  so  much  in  love  as  all  that? " 

She  shook  her  head,  and  looked  at  the  flowing 
lines  of  green  water  which  melted  into  snow  as  they 
came  curving  with  glass-clear  backs  to  the  ruddy 
streak  of  the  yacht's  sheathing.  However,  the  desire 
to  keep  her  at  sea  until  we  could  land  ourselves  close 
to  the  spot  where  we  were  to  be  married  made  me 
too  anxious  to  conquer  the  uneasiness  which  the 
motion  of  the  vessel  excited  to  humor  her.  I  coaxed 


A    MARRIAGE    AT   SEA.  47 

and  implored,  and  eventually  got  her  below,  and  by 
dint  of  talking  and  engaging  her  attention,  and  mak- 
ing her  forget  herself,  so  to  speak,  I  managed  to 
betray  her  into  breaking  her  fast  with  a  cup  of  tea 
and  a  fragment  of  cold  chicken.  This  was  an  accom- 
plishment of  which  I  had  some  reason  to  feel  proud; 
but  then,  to  be  sure,  I  was  in  the  secret,  knowing  this 
— that  sea-nausea  is  entirely  an  affair  of  the  nerves, 
that  no  sufferer  is  ill  in  his  sleep,  no  matter  how  high 
the  sea  may  be  running,  or  how  unendurable  to  his 
waking  senses  the  sky-high  capers  and  abysmal 
plunges  of  the  vessel  may  be,  and  that  the  correct 
treatment  for  seasickness  is — not  to  think  of  it.  In 
short,  I  made  my  sweetheart  forget  to  feel  uneasy. 
She  talked,  she  sipped  her  tea,  she  eat,  and  then  she 
looked  better,  and  indeed  owned  that  she  felt  so. 

We  sat  together  in  earnest  conversation.  It  was 
not  for  me  to  pretend  that  I  could  witness  no  impru- 
dence in  our  elopement.  Indeed,  I  took  care  to  let  her 
know  that  I  regretted  the  step  we  had  been  forced 
into  taking  as  fully  as  she  did.  My  love  was  an  influ- 
ence upon  her,  and  whatever  I  said  I  felt  might  weigh 
with  her  childish  heart.  But  I  repeated  what  I  had 
again  and  again  written  to  her — that  there  had  been 
no  other  alternative  than  this  elopement. 

"You  wished  me  to  wait,"  I  said,  "until  you  were 
twenty-one,  when  you  would  be  your  own  mistress. 
But  to  wait  for  more  than  three  years!  What  was  to 
happen  in  that  time?  They  might  have  converted 
you — " 

"  No,"  she  cried. 


48  A   MARRIAGE   AT   SEA. 

«< — and  have  wrought  a  complete  change  in  your 
nature,"  I  went  on.  "  How  many  girls  are  there  who 
could  resist  the  sort  of  pressure  they  were  subjecting 
you  to,  one  way  and  another? " 

"They  could  not  have  changed  my  heart,  Her- 
bert." 

"How  can  we  tell?  Under  their  influence  in 
another  year  you  might  have  come  to  congratulate 
yourself  upon  your  escape  from  me." 

"  Do  you  think  so?  Then  you  should  have  granted 
me  another  year,  because  marriage,"  she  added,  with 
a  look  in  her  eyes  that  was  like  a  wistful  smile,  "  is  a 
very  serious  thing;  and  if  you  believe  that  I  should  be 
rejoicing  in  a  year  hence  over  my  escape  from  you, 
as  you  call  it,  you  must  believe  that  I  have  no  busi- 
ness to  be  here." 

This  was  a  cool  piece  of  logic  that  was  hardly  to 
my  taste. 

"Tell  me,"  said  I,  fondling  her  hand,  "how  you 
managed  last  night." 

"I  do  not  like  to  think  of  it,"  she  answered.  "  I 
was  obliged  to  undress,  for  it  is  ma'm'selle's  rule  to 
look  into  all  the  bedrooms  the  last  thing  after  locking 
the  house  up.  It  was  then  ten  o'clock.  I  waited 
until  I  heard  the  convent  clock  strike  twelve,  by  which 
time  I  supposed  everybody  would  be  sound  asleep. 
Then  I  lighted  a  candle,  and  dressed  myself;  but  I 
had  to  use  my  hands  as  softly  as  a  spider  spins  its 
web,  and  my  heart  seemed  to  beat  so  loud  that  I  was 
afraid  the  girls  in  the  next  room  would  hear  it.  I  put  a 
box  of  matches  in  my  pocket,  and  crept  along  the  cor- 


A   MARRIAGE    AT    SEA.  49 

ridors  to  the  big  salle-tt-manger.  The  door  of  my  bed- 
room creaked  when  I  opened  it,  and  I  felt  as  if  I  must 
sink  to  the  ground  with  fright.  The  salle-ti-manger  is 
a  great  gloomy  room  even  in  the  day-time;  it  was 
dreadfully  dark,  horribly  black,  Herbert,  and  the  sight 
of  the  stars  shining  through  the  window  over  the  bal- 
cony made  me  feel  so  lonely  that  I  could  have  cried. 
There  was  a  mouse  scratching  in  the  room  some- 
where, and  I  got  upon  a  chair,  scarcely  caring  whether 
I  made  a  noise  or  not,  so  frightened  was  I,  for  I  hate 
mice.  Indeed,  if  that  mouse  had  not  kept  quiet  after 
awhile,  I  believe  I  should  not  be  here  now.  I  could 
not  endure  being  alone  in  a  great  dark  room  at  that 
fearful  hour  of  the  night  with  a  mouse  running  about 
near  me.  Oh,  Herbert,  how  glad  I  was  when  I  saw 
your  lantern  flash!" 

"My  brave  little  heart!"  cried  I,  snatching  up 
her  hand  and  kissing  it.  "  But  the  worst  part  is 
over.  There  are  no  ladders,  no  great  black  rooms, 
now  before  us — no  mice,  even." 

She  slightly  colored,  without  smiling,  and  I  noticed 
an  anxious  expression  in  the  young  eyes  she  held 
steadfastly  bent  upon  the  table. 

"What  thought  is  troubling  you,  Grace?" 

"  Herbert,  I  fear  you  will  not  love  me  the  better 
for  consenting  to  run  away  with  you." 

"  Is  that  your  only  fear? " 

She  shook  her  head,  and  said,  while  she  contin- 
ued to  keep  her  eyes  downcast,  "  Suppose  Aunt 
Amelia  refuses  to  sanction  our  marriage?" 

"  She  will  not!  she  dare  not!  "  I  cried,  vehemently. 

4 


50  A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA. 

"  Imprudent  as  we  may  seem,  we  are  politic  in  this, 
Grace — that  our  adventure  must  force  your  aunt  into 
sending  us  her  sanction."  She  looked  at  me,  but  her 
face  remained  grave.  "  Caudel,"  said  I,  "  who  is  as 
much  your  guardian  as  I  am,  put  the  same  question  to 
me.  But  there  is  no  earthly  good  in  supposing.  It  is 
monstrous  to  suppose  that  your  aunt  will  object.  She 
hates  me,  I  know,  but  her  aversion — the  aversion  ol 
that  old  woman  of  the  world,  with  her  family  pride 
and  notions  of  propriety — is  not  going  to  surfer  her 
to  forbid  our  marriage  after  this.  Yet  grant  that  her 
ladyship — my  blessings  upon  her  false  front! — should 
go  on  saying  no;  are  we  not  prepared? " 

I  kissed  away  a  tear,  and  a  little  later  she  was  smil- 
ing, with  her  hand  in  mine,  as  I  led  her  up  on  deck. 

She  gazed  about  her  out  of  the  wraps  which  rose 
to  her  ears,  with  eyes  full  of  child-like  interest  and 
wonder,  not  unmixed  with  fear.  I  saw  her  eagerly 
watching  the  action  of  the  yacht  as  the  little  fabric 
leaned  to  a  sea  with  a  long,  sideways,  floating  plunge 
that  brought  the  yeast  of  the  broken  waters  bubbling 
and  hissing  to  the  very  line  of  her  lee  forecastle  bul- 
wark; then  she  would  clasp  my  hand  as  though 
startled,  when  the  dandy  craft  swept  the  weight  of  her 
white  canvas  to  windward  on  the  heave  of  the  under- 
running  sea  with  a  sound  as  of  drums  and  bugles 
heard  afar  echoing  down  out  of  the  glistening  con- 
cavities and  ringing  out  of  the  taut  rigging,  upon 
which  the  blue  and  brilliant  morning  breeze  was 
splitting. 

She  had  not  been  sitting  long  before  I  saw  that  she 


A   MARRIAGE    AT   SEA.  51 

was  beginning  to  like  it.  There  was  no  nausea  now; 
her  eyes  were  bright;  there  was  color  in  her  cheeks, 
and  her  red  lips  lay  parted  as  though  in  pure  enjoy- 
ment of  the  glad  rush  of  the  salt  breeze  athwart  hei 
teeth  of  pearl. 

Thus  passed  the  morning.  There  was  no  tedium. 
If  ever  there  came  a  halt  in  our  chat,  there  were 
twenty  things  over  the  side  to  look  at,  to  fill  the  pause 
with  color  and  beauty.  It  might  be  a  tall,  slate-col- 
ored steam  tank,  hideous  with  gaunt  leaning  funnel 
and  famished  pole-masts,  and  black  fans  of  propeller 
beating  at  the  stern-post  like  the  vanes  of  a  drown- 
ing windmill  amid  a  hill  of  froth,  yet  poetized  in 
spite  of  herself  into  a  pretty  detail  of  the  surround- 
ing life  through  the  mere  impulse  and  spirit  of  the 
bright  seas  through  which  she  was  starkly  driving. 
Or  it  was  a  full-rigged  ship,  homeward  bound,  with 
yearning  canvas  and  ocean-worn  sides,  figures  on  her 
poop  crossing  from  rail  to  rail  to  look  at  what  was 
passing,  and  seamen  on  her  forecastle  busy  with  the 
ground-tackle. 

It  was  shortly  after  twelve  that  the  delicate  shadow 
of  the  high  land  of  Beachy  Head  showed  over  the 
yacht's  bow.  By  one  o'clock  it  had  grown  defined 
and  firm,  with  the  glimmering  streak  of  its  white 
ramparts  of  chalk  stealing  out  of  the  blue  haze. 

"  There's  old  England,  Grace,"  said  I.  "  How 
one's  heart  goes  out  to  the  sight  of  the  merest  shadow 
of  one's  own  soil !  The  Spitfire  has  seen  the  land; 
has  she  not  suddenly  quickened  her  pace?" 

"  I  ought  to  wish  it  was  the  Cornwall  coast,"  she 


52  A    MARRIAGE    AT   SEA. 

answered;  "  but  I  am  enjoying  this  now,"  she  added, 
smiling. 

I  was  made  happy  by  finding  my  sweetheart  with 
some  appetite  for  dinner  at  one  o'clock.  She  no 
longer  sighed;  no  regrets  escaped  her;  her  early 
alarm  had  disappeared;  the  novelty  of  the  situation 
was  wearing  off;  she  was  now  realizing  again  what  I 
knew  she  had  realized  before — to  judge  by  her  let- 
ters— though  the  excitement  and  terrors  of  the  elope- 
ment had  broken  in  upon  and  temporarily  disordered 
her  perception;  she  was  fully  realizing,  I  mean,  that 
there  had  been  nothing  for  it  but  this  step  to  free  her 
from  a  species  of  immurement  charged  with  menace 
to  her  faith  and  to  her  love;  and  this  being  her  mood, 
her  affection  for  me  found  room  to  show  itself,  so 
that  now  I  never  could  meet  her  eyes  without  seeing 
how  wholly  I  had  her  dear  heart  ajid  how  happy  was 
she  in  this  recurrence  and  brightening  out  of  her 
love  from  the  gloom  and  consternation  that  attended 
the  start  of  our  headlong  wild  adventure. 

I  flattered  myself  that  we  were  to  be  fortunate  in 
our  weather.  Certainly  all  that  afternoon  was  as  fair 
and  beautiful  in  its  marine  atmosphere  of  autumn  as 
living  creature  could  desire.  The  blues  and  greens 
of  the  prospect  of  heaven  and  sea  were  enriched  by 
the  looming,  towering  terraces  of  Beachy  Head, 
hanging  large  and  looking  near  upon  our  starboard 
quarter,  though  I  believe  Caudel  had  not  sailed  very 
deep  within  the  sphere  in  which  the  high-perched 
lantern  is  visible  before  shifting  his  helm  for  a  straight 
down-Channel  course. 


A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA.  53 

When  the  sun  had  fairly  set  I  took  her  below,  for 
the  wind  seemed  to  come  on  a  sudden  with  the  damp 
of  night  in  it,  and  a  bite  as  shrewd  in  its  abruptness 
as  frost.  I  had  made  no  other  provision,  in  the  shape 
of  amusement,  for  our  sea-trip  of  three,  four,  or  five 
days,  as  it  might  happen,  than  a  small  parcel  of 
novels,  scarcely  doubting  that  all  the  diversion  we 
should  need  must  lie  in  each  other's  company.  And, 
in  fact,  we  managed  to  kill  the  time  very  agreeably 
without  the  help  of  fiction,  though  we  both  owned, 
when  the  little  cabin  clock  pointed  to  half-past  nine, 
and  she,  looking  up  at  it,  yawning  behind  her  white 
fingers,  exclaimed  that  she  felt  tired  and  would  go  to 
bed — I  say,  we  both  owned  that  the  day  had  seemed 
a  desperately  long  one — to  be  sure,  with  us  it  had 
begun  very  early — and  I  could  not  help  adding  that, 
on  the  whole,  a  honey-moon  spent  aboard  a  yacht  the 
size  of  the  Spitfire  would  soon  become  a  very  slow 
business. 

When  she  had  withdrawn  I  put  on  a  pea-coat,  and, 
filling  a  pipe,  stepped  on  deck.  The  dusk  was  clear, 
but  of  a  darker  shade  than  that  of  the  preceding 
night;  there  was  not  more  wind  than  had  been  blow- 
ing throughout  the  day,  but  the  sky  was  full  of  large 
swollen  clouds  rolling  in  shadows  of  giant  wings 
athwart  the  stars,  and  the  gloom  of  them  was  in  the 
atmosphere.  Here  and  there  showed  a  ship's  light — 
some  faint  gleam  of  red  or  green  windily  coming 
and  going  out  upon  the  weltering  obscurity — but 
away  to  starboard  the  horizon  ran  through  black, 
without  a  single  break  of  shore-light  that  I  could  see. 


54  A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA. 

The  yacht  was  swarming  through  it  under  all  canvas, 
humming  as  she  went.  Her  pace  if  it  lasted  would, 
I  knew,  speedily  terminate  this  sea-going  passage  of 
our  elopement,  and  I  looked  over  the  stern  very  well 
pleased  to  witness  the  arrow-straight  white  of  the 
wake  melting  at  a  little  distance  into  a  mere  elusive 
faintness. 

Caudel  stood  near  the  helm. 

"When  are  we  to  be  off  St.  Catherine's  Point  at 
this  pace,  Caudel? "  said  I. 

"  At  this  pace,  sir?  Why,  betwixt  seven  and  eight 
o'clock  to-morrow  morning." 

"What  a  deuce  of  a  length  this  English  Channel 
runs  to! "  cried  I,  impatiently.  "Why,  it  will  be  little 
better  than  beginning  our  voyage,  even  when  the  Isle 
of  Wight  is  abreast!  " 

"  Yes,  sir,  there's  a  deal  o'  water  going  to  the  mak- 
ing of  this  here  Channel — a  blooming  sight  too  much 
of  it  when  it  comes  on  a  winter's  night  a-blowing  and 
a-snowing,  the  atmosphere  thick  as  muck,"  answered 
Caudel. 

"  There'll  be  a  bright  lookout  kept  to-night,  I  hope," 
said  I.  "Not  the  value  of  all  the  cargoes  afloat  at 
this  present  instant,  Caudel,  the  wide  world  over, 
equals  the  worth  of  my  treasure  aboard  the  Spitfire." 

"  Trust  me  to  see  that  a  bright  lookout's  kept,  Mr. 
Barclay.  There'll  be  no  taming  in  with  me  this  night. 
Don't  let  no  fear  of  anything  going  wrong  disturb 
your  mind,  sir." 

I  lingered  to  finish  my  pipe.  The  fresh  wind 
flashed  into  my  face  damp  with  the  night  and  the 


A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA.  55 

spray-cold  breath  of  the  sea,  and  the  planks  of  the 
deck  showed  dark  with  the  moisture  to  the  dim  star- 
light. There  was  some  weight  in  the  heads  of  seas 
as  they  came  rolling  to  our  beam,  and  the  little  vessel 
was  soaring  and  falling  briskly  upon  the  heave  of  the 
folds,  whose  volume  of  course  gained  as  the  Channel 
broadened. 

"Well,"  said  I,  with  a  bit  of  a  shiver,  and  hugging 
myself  in  my  pea-coat,  "  I  am  cold  and  tired,  and 
going  to  bed;  so  good-night,  and  God  keep  you  wide 
awake."  And  down  I  went,  and  ten  minutes  later 
was  snugged  away  in  my  coffin  of  a  bunk,  sound 
asleep,  and  snoring  at  the  top  of  my  pipes,  I  don't 
doubt. 

Next  morning,  when  I  went  on  deck  after  nine 
hours  of  solid  slumber,  I  at  once  directed  my  eyes 
over  the  rail  in  search  of  the  Isle  of  Wight,  but  there 
was  nothing  to  be  seen  but  a  gray  drizzle,  a  weeping 
wall  of  slate-colored  haze  that  formed  a  sky  of  its 
own  and  drooped  to  within  a  mile  or  so  of  the  yacht. 
The  sea  was  an  ugly  sallowish  green,  and  you  saw 
the  billows  come  tumbling  in  froth  from  under  the 
vaporous  margin  of  the  horizon  as  though  each  surge 
was  formed  there,  and  there  was  nothing  but  blankness 
and  space  beyond.  The  yacht's  canvas  was  discolored 
with  saturation,  drops  of  water  were  blowing  from  her 
rigging,  there  was  a  sobbing  of  a  gutter-like  sort  in 
her  lee  scuppers,  and  the  figures  of  the  men  glistening 
in  oil-skins  completed  the  melancholy  appearance  of 
the  little  Spitfire.  Caudel  was  below,  but  the  man 
named  Dick  Files  was  at  the  helm — an  intelligent 


56  A   MARRIAGE   AT   SEA. 

young  fellow  without  any  portion  of  Job  Crew's  surli- 
ness, and  he  answered  the  questions  I  put. 

We  had  made  capital  way  throughout  the  night,  he 
told  me,  and  if  the  weather  were  clear,  St.  Catharine's 
Point  would  show  abreast  of  us. 

"  There's  no  doubt  about  Caudel  knowing  where  he 
is?"  said  I,  with  a  glance  at  the  blind-gray  atmos- 
phere that  sometimes  swept  in  little  puffs  of  cloudy 
damp  through  the  rigging,  like  fragments  of  vapor  torn 
out  of  some  compacted  body. 

"Oh,  no,  sir;  Mr.  Caudel  knows  where  he  is,"  an- 
swered the  man.  "  We  picked  up  and  passed  a  small 
cutter  out  of  Portsmouth  about  three-quarters  of  an 
hour  ago,  sir,  and  he  told  us  where  we  were." 

"  Has  this  sail  been  kept  on  the  yacht  all  night?*' 
said  I,  looking  at  the  wide  spread  of  main-sail  and  gaff 
top-sail. 

"  All  night,  sir.  The  run's  averaged  eight  knots. 
Nigh  hand  equal  to  steam,  sir." 

"Well,  you  all  need  to  keep  a  bright  lookout  in  this 
sort  of  thickness.  How  far  off  can  you  see? " 

The  man  stared,  and  blinked,  and  mused,  and  then 
said  he  allowed  about  a  mile  and  a  quarter. 

"Room  enough,"  said  I;  "but mind  your  big  mail- 
boats  out  of  Southampton.  There  are  German  skip- 
pers among  them  who  would  drive  through  the  devil 
himself  sooner  than  lose  five  minutes." 

The  promise  of  a  long,  wet,  blank  day  was  not  very 
cheering.  In  fact,  this  change  in  the  weather  was  as 
damping  to  my  spirits  as  it  literally  was  to  everything 
else,  and  as  I  entered  frhe  companion-way  for  shelter  I 


A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA.  57 

felt  as  though  half  of  a  mind  to  order  the  yacht  to  be 
headed  for  some  adjacent  port.  But  a  little  thinking 
brought  back  my  resolution  to  its  old  bearings.  It  was  a 
hard  thing  to  avow,  but  I  knew  that  my  very  strongest 
chance  of  gaining  Lady  Amelia's  consent  lay  in  this 
sea-trip.  Then,  again,  there  might  come  a  break  at 
any  minute,  with  a  fine  day  of  warm  sunshine  and 
clear  sky  to  follow.  I  re-entered  the  cabin,  and  on 
looking  at  the  barometer  observed  a  slight  depression 
in  the  mercury,  but  it  was  without  significance  to  my 
mind. 

Somewhere  about  this  time  Grace  came  out  of  her 
berth.  She  brought  an  atmosphere  of  flower-like 
fragrance  with  her,  but  the  motions  of  the  yacht  obliged 
her  to  sit  quickly,  and  she  gazed  at  me  with  laughter 
in  her  eyes  from  the  locker,  graceful  in  her  posture  as 
a  reposing  dancer.  Her  face  lengthened,  however, 
when  I  told  her  about  the  weather — that  in  short  there 
was  nothing  visible  from  the  deck  but  a  muddy, 
jumbled  atmosphere  of  vapor  and  drizzle. 

"  I  counted  upon  seeing  the  Isle  of  Wight,"  cried 
she.  "  There  has  been  no  land  so  far  except  those  far- 
off  high  cliffs  yesterday  afternoon." 

"  No  matter,  my  sweet.  Let  us  take  as  long  as  pos- 
sible in  breakfasting.  Then  you  shall  read  Tennyson 
to  me — yes,  I  have  a  volume  of  that  poet — and  we  shall 
find  some  of  the  verses  in  wonderful  harmony  with  our 
mood."  She  gave  me  a  smiling  glance,  though  her  lip 
pouted  as  if  she  would  say,  "Don't  make  too  sure  of 
my  mood,  my  fine  young  fellow."  "By  the  time  we 
have  done  with  Tennyson,"  I  continued,  "the  weather 


58  A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA. 

may  have  cleared.  If  not,  then  we  must  take  as  long 
as  possible  in  dining." 

"  Isn't  it  dangerous  to  be  at  sea  in  such  weather  as 
this? "  she  asked. 

"No,"  said  I. 

"  But  the  sailors  can't  see." 

I  feared  the  drift  of  her  language,  and  explained: 
"  It  would  be  dangerous  to  attempt  to  make  the  land, 
for  we  might  blunder  upon  a  rock  and  go  to  pieces, 
Grace;  and  then  farewell,  a  long  farewell,  to  the  pas- 
sions, the  emotions,  the  impulses,  the  sensations, 
which  have  brought  us  together  here."  And  I  kissed 
her  hand. 

"  But  it  would  be  pleasant  to  lie  in  a  pretty  harbor 
— to  rest,  as  it  were,"  she  exclaimed. 

"  Our  business  is  to  get  married,  my  darling,"  I 
rejoined,  "and  we  must  hasten  as  swiftly  as  the  wind 
will  allow  us  to  the  parish  where  the  ceremony  is  to  be 
performed;  for  my  cousin  can't  publish  the  bans  until 
we  are  on  the  spot,  and  while  he  is  publishing  the 
bans  we  must  be  treating  with  her  ladyship,  and,  as 
the  diplomatists  would  say,  negotiating  a  successful 
issue." 

I  should  only  weary  you  by  reciting  the  passage  of 
the  hours.  After  breakfast  I  took  her  on  deck  for  a 
turn;  but  she  was  glad  to  get  below  again.  All  day 
long  it  continued  dark  weather,  without  a  sight  of 
anything  save  at  intervals  the  shadowy  figure  of  a 
coaster  aslant  in  the  thickness,  and  once  the  loom  of 
a  huge  ocean  passenger-boat,  sweeping  at  twelve  or 
fourteen  knots  through  the  gray  veil  of  vapor  that 


A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA.  59 

narrowed  the  horizon  to  within  a  mile  of  us.  The  wind, 
however,  remained  a  steady  fresh  breeze,  and  through- 
out the  day  there  was  never  a  rope  handled  nor  a  stitch 
of  canvas  reduced.  The  Spitfire  swung  steadfastly 
through  it,  in  true  sea-bruising  style,  sturdily  fling-- 
ing the  sea  off  her  flaring  bow,  and  whitening  the 
water  with  the  plunges  of  her  churning  keel  till  the 
tail  of  her  wake  seemed  to  stretch  to  the  near  sea-line. 


IV. 


I  will  not  feign,  however,  that  I  was  perfectly 
comfortable  in  my  mind.  Anything  at  sea  but  thick 
weather!  I  never  pretended  to  be  more  than  a  sum- 
mer-holiday sailor,  and  such  anxiety  as  I  should  have 
felt  had  I  been  alone  was  now  mightily  accentuated, 
as  may  be  supposed,  by  having  the  darling  of  my 
heart  in  my  little  ship  with  me.  I  had  a  long  talk 
with  Caudel  that  afternoon,  and,  despite  my  eager 
desire  to  remain  at  sea,  I  believe  I  would  have  been 
glad  had  he  advised  that  the  Spitfire  should  be 
steered  for  the  nearest  harbor.  But  his  counsel  was 
all  the  other  way. 

"  Lord  love  ye,  Mr.  Barclay,  sir,"  he  exclaimed, 
"  what's  going  wrong,  that  we  should  tarn  to  and  set 
it  right?  Here's  a  breeze  of  wind  that's  doing  all 
that  could  be  asked  for.  I  dorn't  say  it  ain't  thick, 
but  there's  nothin'  in  it  to  take  notice  of.  Of  course 
you've  only  got  to  say  the  word,  sir,  and  I'll  put  the 
helium  up;  but  even  for  that  there  job  it  would  be 
proper  to  make  sartin  first  of  all  where  we  are.  There's 
no  want  of  harbors  under  our  lee,  from  Portland  Bill 
to  Bolt  Head,  but  I  can't  trust  to  my  dead-reckoning, 
seeing  what's  involved,"  said  he,  casting  a  damp  eye 
at  the  skylight;  "  and  my  motto  is,  there's  nothin'  like 
seeing  when  you're  on  such  a  coast  as  this  here.  Hav- 
ing come  all  this  way,  it  'ud  be  a  pity  to  stop  now." 

C60> 


A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA.  61 

"So  long  as  you're  satisfied — "  I  exclaimed;  and 
no  doubt  he  was,  though  I  believe  he  was  influenced 
by  vanity,  too.  Our  putting  into  a  harbor  might  af- 
fect him  as  a  reflection  upon  his  skill.  He  would 
also  suppose  that  if  we  entered  harbor  we  should 
travel  by  rail  to  our  destination — which  would  be  as 
though  he  were  told  we  could  not  trust  him  further. 
After  the  service  he  had  done  me,  it  was  not  to  be 
supposed  I  could  causelessly  give  the  worthy  fellow 
offense. 

"You  steer  by  the  compass,  I  suppose?"  said  I. 

"By  nothin'  else,  sir,"  he  answered,  in  a  voice  of 
wonder. 

"Well,  I  might  have  known  that,"  said  I,  laughing 
at  my  own  stupid  question,  that  yet  had  sense  in  it, 
too.  "  I  should  have  asked  you  if  the  compass  is  to 
be  trusted." 

"Ay,  sir.  He's  a  first-class  compass.  There's 
nothin'  to  make  him  go  wrong.  Yet  it's  astonishing 
what  a  little  thing  will  put  a  compass  out.  I've 
heerd  of  a  vessel  that  was  pretty  nigh  run  ashore  all 
along  of  the  helmsman — not  because  he  couldn't 
steer — a  better  hand  never  stood  at  a  wheel — but 
because  he'd  been  physicking  himself  with  iron  and 
steel,  and  had  taken  so  much  of  the  blooming  stuff 
that  the  compass  was  wrong  all  the  time  he  was  at  the 
helm." 

"  A  very  good  story,"  said  I. 

"  I'm  sure  you'll  forgive  me,  sir,"  he  proceeded, 
"  for  asking  if  your  young  lady  wears  any  steel  bones 
about  her — contrivances  for  hoisting  her  dress  up 


62  A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA. 

astarn — crinolines — bustles — you  know  what  I  mean, 
Mr.  Barclay? " 

"  I  can  not  tell,"  said  I. 

"  I've  heerd  speak  of  the  master  of  a  vessel,"  he 
went  on  (being  a  very  talkative  man  when  he  got  into 
the  "yarning"  mood),  "whose  calculations  was 
always  falling  to  pieces  at  sea.  Two  and  two  never 
seemed  to  make  four  with  him,  ontil  he  found  out 
that  one  of  his  lady  passengers  every  morning  brought 
a  stool  and  sat  close  ag'in'  the  binnacle;  she  wore 
steel  hoops  to  swell  her  dress  out  with,  and  the  local 
attraction  was  such,  your  honor,  that  the  compass  was 
sometimes  four  or  five  points  out." 

I  told  him  that  if  the  compass  went  wrong  it 
would  not  be  Miss  Bellassys'  fault;  and,  having  had 
enough  of  the  deck,  I  rejoined  my  sweetheart;  and  in 
the  cabin,  with  talking,  reading,  she  singing — very 
sweetly  she  sung — we  killed  the  hours  till  bedtime. 

This  was  our  third  night  at  sea,  and  I  was  now 
beginning  to  think  that,  instead  of  three  or  four  days, 
we  should  occupy  a  week,  and  perhaps  longer,  in 
making  Mount's  Bay — in  which  conjecture  I  was  con- 
firmed when,  finding  myself  awake  at  three  o'clock  in 
the  morning,  I  pulled  on  my  clothes  and  went  on 
deck  to  take  a  look  round,  and  found  the  wind  a  light 
off-shore  air,  the  stars  shining,  and  the  Spitfire,  with 
her  canvas  falling  in  and  out  with  sounds  like  the 
discharge  of  small-arms,  rolling  stagnantly  upon  a 
smooth-backed  run  of  swell  lifting  out  of  the  north- 
east, but  with  a  slant  in  the  heave  of  it  that  made  one 
guess  the  impulse  which  set  it  running  was  fair  north. 


A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA.  68 

I  was  up  again  at  seven  o'clock,  with  a  resolution 
to  let  the  weather  shape  my  decision  as  to  sticking  to 
the  vessel  or  going  ashore,  and  was  not  a  little 
pleased  to  find  the  yacht  making  good  way,  with  a 
brilliant  breeze  gushing  steady  off  her  starboard  bow. 
The  heavens  looked  high,  with  fine-weather  clouds, 
prismatic  mare-tails  for  the  most  part,  here  and  there 
a  snow-white  swelling  vapor  hovering  over  the  edge 
of  the  sea. 

The  greater  part  of  this  day  Grace  and  I  spent  on 
deck,  but  nothing  whatever  happened  good  enough  to 
keep  my  tale  waiting  while  I  tell  you  about  it.  Strong 
as  the  off-shore  breeze  was,  there  was  but  little  sea, 
nothing  to  stop  the  yacht,  and  she  ran  through  it  like 
a  sledge  over  a  snow-plain,  piling  the  froth  to  her 
stem-head,  and  reeling  off  a  fair  nine  knots,  as  Caudel 
would  cry  out  to  me  with  an  exultant  countenance  of 
leather  every  time  the  log  was  hove.  He  talked  of 
being  abreast  of  the  Start  by  three  o'clock  in  the 
morning. 

"  Then,"  said  I  to  my  sweetheart,  "if  that  be  so, 
Grace,  there  will  be  but  a  short  cruise  to  follow." 

At  this  she  looked  grave,  and  fastened  her  eyes 
with  a  wistful  expression  upon  the  sea  over  the  bows, 
as  though  Mount's  Bay  lay  there,  and  the  quaint  old 
town  of  Penzance,  with  its  long  esplanade  and  its  rich 
flanking  of  green  and  well-tilled  heights,  would  be 
presently  showing. 

I  read  her  thoughts,  and  said:  "  I  have  never  met 
Mrs.  Howe;  but  Frank's  letters  about  her  to  me  were 
as  enthusiastic  as  mine  were  about  you  to  him.  He 


64  A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA. 

calls  her  sweetly  pretty;  so  she  may  be.  I  know  she 
is  a  lady,  but  her  connections  are  good;  I  am  also 
convinced  by  Frank's  description  that  she  is  amiable, 
consequently  I  am  certain  she  will  make  you  happy  and 
comfortable  until — "  And  here  I  squeezed  her  hand. 

"  It  is  a  desperate  step,  Herbert,"  she  sighed. 

Upon  which  I  changed  the  subject. 

We  went  below,  and  Grace  and  I  killed  the  time,  as 
heretofore,  in  talking  and  reading.  We  found  the 
evening  too  short,  indeed,  so  much  had  we  to  say  to 
each  other.  Wonderful  is  the  amount  of  talk  which 
lovers  are  able  to  get  through  and  feel  satisfied  with. 
You  hear  of  silent  love,  of  lovers  staring  at  each 
other  with  glowing  eyes,  their  lips  incapable  of  ex- 
pressing the  emotions  and  sensations  which  crowd 
their  quick  hearts  and  fill  their  throats  with  sighs. 
This  may  be  very  well,  too,  but  for  my  part  I  have 
generally  observed  that  lovers  have  a  very  great  deal 
to  talk  about.  Remark  an  engaged  couple;  sooner 
than  be  silent,  they  will  whisper  if  there  be  company 
at  hand;  and  when  alone,  or  when  they  think  them- 
selves alone,  their  tongues — particularly  the  girl's — 
are  never  still.  Grace  and  I  were  of  a  talking  age — 
two  and  twenty,  and  one  not  yet  eighteen;  our  minds 
had  no  knowledge  of  life,  no  experience,  nothing  in 
them  to  keep  them  steady;  they  were  set  in  motion 
by  the  lightest,  the  most  trivial  breath  of  thought, 
and  idly  danced  in  us  in  the  manner  of  a  gossamer- 
like  topmost  leaf  to  the  faintest  movement  of  the 
summer  air. 

She  withdrew  to  her  berth  at  ten  o'clock  that  night 


A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA.  65 

with  a  radiant  face  and  laughing  eyes,  for,  insipid  as 
the  evening  must  have  proved  to  others,  to  us  it  had 
been  one  of  perfect  felicity.  Not  a  single  sigh  had 
escaped  her,  and  twice  had  I  mentioned  the  name  of 
Mrs.  Howe  without  witnessing  any  change  of  coun- 
tenance in  her. 

I  went  on  deck  to  take  a  last  look  round,  and  found 
all  well — no  change  in  the  weather,  the  breeze  a  brisk 
and  steady  pouring  out  of  the  north,  and  Caudel 
pacing  the  deck  well  satisfied  with  our  progress. 
I  returned  below  without  any  feeling  of  uneasiness, 
and  sat  at  the  cabin  table  for  some  minutes  or  so  to 
smoke  out  a  cigar  and  to  refresh  myself  with  a  glass 
of  seltzer  and  brandy.  A  sort  of  dream-like  feeling 
came  upon  me  as  I  sat.  I  found  it  hard  to  realize 
that  my  sweetheart  was  close  to  me,  separated  only  by 
a  curtained  door  from  the  cabin  I  was  musing  in. 
What  was  to  follow  this  adventure  ?  Was  it  possible 
that  Lady  Amelia  Roscoe  could  oppose  any  obstacle 
to  our  union  after  this  association  ?  I  gazed  at  the 
mirrors  I  had  equipped  the  cabin  with,  picked  up  a 
handkerchief  my  sweetheart  had  left  behind  her  and 
kissed  it,  stared  at  the  little  silver  shining  lamp  that 
swung  over  my  head,  pulled  a  flower  and  smelled 
it  in  a  vacant  sort  of  way,  of  which  nevertheless 
I  was  perfectly  sensible.  "Is  there  anything  wrong 
with  my  nerves  to-night  ?  "  thought  I. 

I  extinguished  my  cigar  and  went  to  bed.  It  was 
then  about  a  quarter  to  eleven,  and  till  past  one  I  lay 
awake,  weary,  yet  unable  to  sleep.  I  lay  listening  to 
the  frothing  and  seething  of  the  water  thrashing  along 


66  A    MARRIAGE   AT    SEA. 

the  bends,  broken  into  at  regular  intervals  by  the  low 
thunder  of  the  surge,  burying  my  cabin  porthole  and 
rising  to  the  line  of  the  rail  as  the  yacht's  stern  sunk 
with  a  long  slanting  heel-over  of  the  whole  fabric.  I 
fell  asleep  at  last,  and,  as  I  afterward  gathered,  slept 
till  somewhat  after  three  o'clock  in  the  morning. 

I  was  awakened  by  suddenly  and  violently  rolling 
out  of  my  bunk.  The  fall  was  a  heavy  one;  I  was  a 
big  fellow,  and  struck  the  plank  of  the  deck  hard, 
and,  though  I  was  instantly  awakened  by  the  shock 
of  the  capsizal,  I  lay  for  some  moments  in  a  condi- 
tion of  stupefaction,  sensible  of  nothing  but  that  I 
had  tumbled  out  of  my  bunk. 

The  little  berth  was  in  pitch  darkness,  and  I  lay,  as 
I  have  said,  motionless,  and  almost  dazed,  till  my  ear 
caught  a  sound  of  shrieking,  ringing  through  a  wild 
but  subdued  note  of  storm  on  deck,  mingled  with 
loud  and  fearful  shouts  as  of  men  bawling  for  life  or 
death,  with  a  trembling  in  every  plank  and  fastening 
of  the  little  fabric  as  though  she  were  tearing  herself 
to  pieces.  I  got  on  to  my  legs,  but  the  angle  of  the 
deck  was  so  prodigious  that  I  leaned  helpless  against 
the  bulkhead,  to  the  base  of  which  I  had  rolled, 
though  unconsciously.  The  shrieks  were  continued. 
I  recognized  Grace's  voice,  and  the  sound  put  a  sort 
of  frenzy  into  me,  insomuch  that,  scarcely  knowing 
how  I  managed,  I  had  in  an  instant  opened  the  door 
of  my  little  berth,  and  was  standing  grabbing  hold  of 
the  cabin  table,  shouting  to  let  her  know  that  I  was 
awake  and  up  and  that  I  heard  her. 

Now  the  uproar  of  what  I  took  to  be  a  squall  of 


A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA.  67 

hurricane  power  was  to  be  easily  heard.  The  bellow 
ing  of  the  wind  was  horrible,  and  it  was  made  more 
terrifying  to  land-going  ears  by  the  incessant  hoarstf 
shouts  of  the  fellows  on  deck;  but,  bewildered  as  ] 
was,  agitated  beyond  expression,  not  knowing  but 
that  as  I  stood  there  gripping  the  table  and  shouting 
my  sweetheart's  name  the  yacht  might  be  foundering 
under  my  feet,  I  had  wits  enough  to  observe  that  the 
vessel  was  slowly  recovering  a  level  keel,  rising  from 
the  roof-like  slant  which  had  flung  me  from  my  bed 
to  an  inclination  that  rendered  the  use  of  one's  legs 
possible.  I  likewise  noticed  that  she  neither  plunged 
nor  rolled  with  greater  heaviness  than  I  had  observed 
in  her  before  I  lay  down.  The  sensation  of  her 
motion  was  as  though  she  was  slowly  rounding  before 
the  wind  and  beginning  to  fly  over  a  surface  that  had 
been  almost  flattened  by  a  hurricane-burst  into  a  dead- 
level  of  snow.  I  could  hear  no  noise  of  breaking  seas 
nor  of  rushing  water — nothing  but  a  caldron-like 
hissing  through  which  rolled  the  notes  of  the  storm 
in  echoes  of  great  ordnance. 

Fortunately,  I  had  no  need  to  clothe  myself,  since 
on  lying  down  I  had  removed  nothing  but  my  coat, 
collar,  and  shoes.  I  had  a  little  silver  match-box  in 
my  trousers  pocket,  and  swiftly  struck  a  match  and 
lighted  the  lamp.  I  looked  at  Grace's  door,  expect- 
ing to  find  her  standing  in  it.  It  was  closed,  and  she 
continued  to  scream.  It  was  no  time  for  ceremony; 
I  opened  the  door  and  called  to  her. 

"Oh,  Herbert,  save  me!"  she  cried.  "The  yacht 
is  sinking! " 


68  A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA. 

"No,"  I  cried,  "she  has  been  struck  by  a  gale  of 
wind.  I  will  find  out  what  is  the  matter.  Are  you 
hurt? " 

"The  yacht  is  sinking!  "  she  repeated,  in  a  wild 
voice  of  terror. 

Spite  of  the  lamp-light  in  the  cabin,  the  curtain 
and  the  door  combined  eclipsed  the  sheen,  and  I 
could  not  see  her. 

"  Are  you  in  bed,  dearest?  " 

"Yes,"  she  moaned. 

"  Are  you  hurt,  my  precious? " 

"  No;  but  my  heart  has  stopped  with  fright.  We 
shall  be  drowned!  Oh,  Herbert,  the  yacht  is  sink- 
ing!" 

"  Remain  as  you  are,  Grace;  I  shall  return  to  you 
in  a  moment.  Do  not  imagine  that  the  yacht  is  sink- 
ing. I  know  by  the  buoyant  feel  of  her  movements 
that  she  is  safe." 

And  thus  hurriedly  speaking,  I  left  her,  satisfied 
that  her  shrieks  had  been  produced  by  terror  only; 
nor  did  I  wish  her  to  rise,  lest  the  yacht  should  again 
suddenly  heel  to  her  first  extravagantly  dreadful 
angle,  and  throw  her  and  break  a  limb  or  injure  her 
more  cruelly  yet. 

The  companion-hatch  was  closed.  The  idea  of 
being  imprisoned  raised  such  a  feeling  of  consterna- 
tion in  me  that  I  stood  in  the  hatch  as  one  paralyzed; 
then  terror  set  me  pounding  upon  the  cover  with  my 
fists  till  you  would  have  thought  that  in  a  few 
moments  I  must  have  reduced  it  to  splinters.  After 
a  little,  during  which  I  hammered  with  might  and 


A    MARRIAGE   AT    SEA.  69 

main,  roaring  out  the  name  of  Caudel,  the  cover  was 
cautiously  lifted  a  few  inches,  letting  in  a  very  yell  of 
wind,  such  a  shock  and  blast  of  it  that  I  was  forced 
back  off  the  ladder  as  though  by  a  blow  in  the  face, 
and  in  a  breath  the  light  went  out. 

"  It's  all  right,  Mr.  Barclay,"  cried  the  voice  of 
Caudel,  hoarse  and  yet  shrill,  too,  with  the  life-and- 
death  cries  he  had  been  already  delivering.  "A  gale 
of  wind's  busted  down  upon  us.  We've  got  the  yacht 
afore  it  while  we  clear  away  the  wreckage.  There's 
no  call  to  be  alarmed,  sir.  On  my  word  and  honor 
as  a  man,  there's  no  call,  sir.  I  beg  you  not  to  come 
on  deck  yet;  ye'll  only  be  in  the  way.  Trust  to  me, 
sir;  it's  all  right,  I  say."  And  the  hatch  was  closed 
again. 

I  now  knocked  on  Grace's  door,  and  told  her  to 
rise  and  dress  herself  and  join  me  in  the  cabin. 

"There  is  no  danger,"  I  shouted;  "nothing  but  a 
capful  of  wind." 

She  made  some  answer  which  I  could  not  catch, 
but  I  might  be  sure  the  upright  posture  and  buoyant 
motions  of  the  yacht  had  tranquilized  her  mind. 

I  sat  alone  for  some  ten  minutes,  during  which  the 
height  and  volume  of  the  sea  sensibly  increased, 
though  as  the  yacht  continued  flying  dead  before  the 
wind,  her  plunges  were  still  too  long  and  gradual  to 
be  distressing.  Occasionally  a  shout  would  sound  on 
deck,  but  what  the  men  were  about  I  could  not  con- 
ceive. 

The  door  of  the  forward  berth  was  opened,  and 
Grace  entered  the  cabin.  Her  face  was  white  as 


70  A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA. 

death;  her  large  eyes,  which  seemed  of  a  coal  black- 
ness in  the  lamp-light  and  by  contrast  with  the  hue  of 
her  cheeks,  sparkled  with  alarm.  She  swept  them 
round  the  cabin  as  though  she  expected  to  behold 
one  knows  not  what  sort  of  horror,  then  came  to 
my  side  and  linked  my  arm  tightly  in  hers. 

"  Oh,  Herbert,  tell  me  the  truth.  What  has  hap- 
pened?" 

"  Nothing  serious,  darling.  Do  not  you  feel  that 
we  are  afloat  and  sailing  bravely?" 

"  But  just  now?  Did  not  the  yacht  turn  over? 
Something  was  broken  on  deck,  and  the  men  began 
to  shriek." 

"And  so  did  you,  Grace,"  said  I,  trying  to  smile. 

"But  if  we  should  be  drowned!"  she  cried,  draw- 
ing herself  closer  to  me  and  fastening  her  sweet,  ter- 
rified eyes  upon  my  face. 

I  shook  my  head,  still  preserving  my  smile,  though 
Heaven  knows,  had  my  countenance  taken  its  expres- 
sion from  my  mood,  it  must  have  shown  as  long  as 
the  yacht  herself.  I  could  observe  her  straining  her 
ears  to  listen,  while  her  gaze — large,  bright,  her  brows 
arched,  her  lips  parted,  her  breast  swiftly  heaving — 
roamed  over  the  cabin. 

"  What  is  that  noise  of  thunder,  Herbert?" 

"  It  is  the  wind,"  I  answered. 

"Are  not  the  waves  getting  up?  Oh!  feel  this!" 
she  cried,  as  the  yacht  rose  with  velocity  and  some- 
thing of  violence  to  the  under-running  hurl  of  a  chas- 
ing sea,  of  a  power  that  was  but  too  suggestive  of 
what  we  were  to  expect. 


A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA.  71 

"  The  Spitfire  is  a  stanch,  noble  little  craft,"  said 
I,  "built  for  North  Sea  weather.  She  is  not  to  be 
daunted  by  anything  that  can  happen  hereabouts." 

"  But  what  has  happened?"  she  cried,  irritable  with 
alarm. 

I  was  about  to  utter  the  first  reassuring  sentence 
that  occurred  to  my  mind,  when  the  hatch-cover  was 
slid  a  little  way  back,  and  I  just  caught  sight  of  a  pair 
of  legs  ere  the  cabin-lamp  was  extinguished  by  such 
another  yell  and  blast  of  wind  as  had  before  nearly 
stretched  me.  Grace  shrieked  and  threw  her  arms 
round  my  neck;  the  cover  was  closed,  and  the  interior 
instantly  becalmed  again. 

"  Who's  that?"  I  roared. 

"  Me,  sir,"  sounded  a  voice  out  of  the  blackness 
where  the  companion-steps  stood — "  Files,  sir.  The 
Capt'n's  asked  me  to  step  below  to  report  what's  hap- 
pened. He  dursn't  leave  the  deck  himself." 

I  released  myself  from  my  darling's  clinging  em- 
brace and  lighted  the  lamp  for  the  third  time. 

Files,  wrapped  in  streaming  oil-skins,  resembled  an 
ebony  figure  over  which  a  bucket  of  dripping  has  been 
emptied,  as  he  stood  at  the  foot  of  the  steps  with  but 
a  bit  of  his  wet,  gray-colored  face  showing  betwixt 
the  ear-flaps  and  under  the  fore-thatch  of  his  sou'- 
wester. 

"  Now  for  your  report,  Files;  and  bear  a  hand  with 
it,  for  mercy's  sake." 

"Well,  sir,  it's  just  this:  it  had  been  breezing  up, 
and  we  double-reefed  the  main-sail,  Captain  Caudel 
not  liking  the  look  of  the  weather,  when  a  slap  of  wind 


72  A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA. 

carried  pretty  nigh  half  the  mast  over  the  side.  We 
reckon — for  we  can't  see — that  it's  gone  some  three  or 
four  feet  below  the  cross-trees.  The  sail  came  down 
with  a  run,  and  there  was  a  regular  mess  of  it,  sir,  the 
vessel  being  buried.  We've  had  to  keep  her  afore  it 
until  we  could  cut  the  wreckage  clear,  and  now  we're 
a-going  to  heave  her  to,  and  I'm  to  tell  ye,  with  Capt'n 
Caudel's  compliments,  not  to  take  any  notice  of  the 
capers  she  may  cut  when  she  heads  the  sea." 

"  How  does  the  weather  look,  Files?" 

"Werry  black  and  noisy,  sir." 

"  Tell  Caudel  to  let  me  see  him  whenever  he  can 
leave  the  deck,"  said  I,  unwilling  to  detain  him,  lest 
he  should  say  something  to  add  to  the  terror  of 
Grace,  whose  eyes  were  riveted  upon  him  as  though 
he  were  some  frightful  ghost  or  hideous  messenger  of 
death. 

I  took  down  the  lamp  and  screened  it  while  he 
opened  the  cover  and  crawled  out.  No  man  could 
imagine  that  so  heavy  a  sea  was  already  running  until 
Caudel  hove  the  yacht  to.  The  instant  the  helm  was 
put  down  the  dance  began.  As  she  rounded  to,  a 
whole  green  sea  struck  her  full  abeam,  and  fell  with 
a  roar  like  a  volcanic  discharge  upon  her  decks,  stag- 
gering her  to  the  heart — sending  a  throe  of  mortal 
agony  through  her,  as  one  might  have  sworn.  I  felt 
that  she  was  buried  in  the  foam  of  that  sea.  As  she 
gallantly  rose,  still  valiantly  rounding  into  the  wind, 
as  though  the  spirit  of  the  British  soil,  in  which  had 
grown  the  hardy  timber  out  of  which  she  was  manu- 
factured, was  never  stronger  in  her  than  now,  the 


A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA.  73 

water  that  filled  her  decks  roared  cascading  over  her 
rails. 

Grace  sat  at  my  side,  her  arm  locked  in  mine;  she 
was  motionless  with  fear;  her  eyes  had  the  fixed  look 
of  the  sleep-walker's.  Nor  will  I  deny  that  my  own 
terror  was  extreme;  for,  imagining  that  I  had  heard  a 
shriek,  I  believed  that  my  men  had  been  washed  over- 
board, and  that  we  two  were  locked  up  in  a  dismantled 
craft  that  was  probably  sinking — imprisoned,  I  say, 
by  reason  of  the  construction  of  the  companion- 
cover,  which  when  closed  was  not  to  be  opened  from 
within. 

I  waited  a  few  minutes,  with  my  lips  set,  wondering 
what  was  to  happen  next,  holding  Grace  close  to  me, 
and  hearkening  with  feverish  ears  for  the  least  sound 
of  a  human  voice  on  deck.  There  was  a  second  blow 
— this  time  on  the  yacht's  bow — followed  by  a  sensa- 
tion as  of  every  timber  thrilling,  and  by  a  bolt-like 
thud  of  falling  water,  but  well  forward.  Immediately 
afterward  I  heard  Caudel  shouting  close  against  the 
skylight,  and  I  can  not  express  the  emotion — in  truth, 
I  may  call  it  the  transport  of  joy — his  voice  raised  in 
me.  It  was  like  being  rescued  from  a  dreadful  death 
that  an  instant  before  seemed  certain. 

I  continued  to  wait,  holding  my  darling  to  me;  her 
head  lay  upon  my  shoulder,  and  she  rested  as  though 
in  a  swoon.  The  sight  of  her  white  face  was  inex- 
pressibly shocking  to  me,  who  very  well  knew  that 
there  was  nothing  I  could  say  to  soften  her  terrors 
amid  such  a  sea  as  the  yacht  was  now  tumbling  upon. 
Indeed,  the  vessel's  motions  had  become  on  a  sudden 


74  A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA. 

violently  heavy.  I  was  never  in  such  a  sea  before — 
that  is  to  say,  in  so  small  a  vessel — and  the  leaping  of 
the  craft  from  peak  to  base,  and  the  dreadful  careen- 
ing of  her  as  she  soared,  lying  down  on  her  beam- 
ends,  to  the  next  liquid  summit,  were  absolutely  soul- 
sickening. 

Well,  some  twenty  minutes,  or  perhaps  half  an 
hour  passed,  during  all  which  time  I  believed  every 
moment  to  be  our  last,  and  I  recollect  cursing  myself 
for  being  the  instrument  of  introducing  the  darling 
of  my  heart  into  this  abominable  scene  of  storm,  in 
which,  as  I  believed,  we  were  both  to  perish.  Why  had 
I  not  gone  ashore  yesterday?  Did  not  my  instincts 
advise  me  to  quit  the  sea  and  take  to  the  railway?  Why 
had  I  brought  my  pet  away  from  the  security  of  the 
Rue  de  MaquStra?  Why,  in  the  name  of  all  the  vir- 
tues, was  I  so  impatient  that  I  could  not  wait  till  she 
was  of  age,  when  I  could  have  married  her  comfort- 
ably and  respectably,  freed  from  all  obligation  of  lad- 
ders, dark  lanterns,  tempests,  and  whatever  was  next 
to  come?  I  could  have  beaten  my  head  upon  the 
table.  Never  did  I  better  understand  what  I  have 
always  regarded  as  a  stroke  of  fiction — I  mean  the 
disposition  of  a  man  in  a  passion  to  tear  out  his  hair 
by  the  roots. 

At  the  expiration,  as  I  supposed,  of  twenty  min- 
utes, the  hatch-cover  was  opened,  this  time  without 
any  following  screech  and  blast  of  wind,  and  Caudel 
descended.  Had  he  been  a  beam  of  sunshine  he 
could  not  have  been  more  welcome  to  my  eye.  He 
was  clad  from  head  to  foot  in  oil-skins,  from  which  the 


A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA.  5 

wet  ran  as  from  an  umbrella  in  a  thunder-shower, 
and  the  skin  and  hue  of  his  face  resembled  soaked 
leather. 

"Well,  Mr.  Barclay,  sir,"  he  exclaimed,  "and  how 
have  you  been  a-getting  on?  It's  been  a  bad  job;  but 
there's  nothin'  to  alarm  ye,  I'm  sure."  Then,  catch- 
ing sight  of  Grace's  face,  he  cried,  "  The  young  lady 
ain't  been  hurt  herself,  I  hope,  sir? " 

"  Her  fear  and  this  movement,"  I  answered,  "  have 
proved  too  much  for  her.  I  wish  you  would  pull  off 
your  oil-skins  and  help  me  to  convey  her  to  the  side 
there.  The  edge  of  this  table  seems  to  be  cutting  me 
in  halves  " — the  fact  being  that  I  was  to  windward, 
with  the  whole  weight  of  my  sweetheart,  who  rested 
lifelessly  against  me,  to  increase  the  pressure,  so  that 
at  every  leeward  stoop  of  the  craft  my  breast  was 
caught  by  the  edge  of  the  table  with  a  sensation  as  of 
a  knife  cutting  through  my  shirt. 

He  instantly  whipped  off  his  streaming  water- 
proofs, standing  without  the  least  inconvenience  while 
the  deck  slanted  under  him  like  a  seesaw,  and  in  a 
very  few  moments  he  had  safely  placed  Grace  on  the 
lee  locker,  with  her  head  on  a  pillow.  I  made  shift 
to  get  round  to  her  without  hurting  myself,  then  cried 
to  Caudel  to  sit  and  tell  me  what  had  happened. 

"Well,  it's  just  this,  sir,"  he  answered;  "the  mast 
was  carried  away  some  feet  below  the  head  of  it.  It 
went  on  a  sudden  in  the  squall  in  which  the  wind 
burst  down  upon  us.  Perhaps  it  was  as  well  it  hap- 
pened, for  she  lay  down  to  that  there  houtfly  in  a  way 
so  hobstinate  that  I  did  believe  she'd  never  lift  her- 


tG  A  MARRIAGE  AT  SEA. 

self  out  of  the  water  ag'in.  But  the  sail  came  down 
when  the  mast  broke,  and  I  managed  to  get  her  afore 
it,  though  I  don't  mind  owning  to  you  now,  sir,  that 
what  with  the  gear  fouling  the  helm,  and  what  with 
other  matters  which  there  ain't  no  call  for  me  to  talk 
about,  'twas  as  close  a  shave  with  us,  sir,  as  ever  hap- 
pened at  sea." 

"  Is  the  yacht  tight,  do  you  think,  Caudel?"  cried  I. 

"I  hope  she  is,  sir." 

"Hope!     My  God!  but  you  must  know,  Caudel!  " 

"  Well,  sir,  she's  a-draining  a  little  water  into  her 
— I'm  bound  to  say  it — but  nothin'  that  the  pump 
won't  keep  under,  and  I  believe  that  most  of  it  finds 
its  way  into  the  well  from  up  above." 

I  stared  at  him  with  a  passion  of  anxiety  and  dis- 
may, but  his  cheery  blue  eyes  steadfastly  returned  my 
gaze,  as  though  he  would  make  me  know  that  he 
spoke  the  truth — that  matters  were  not  worse  than  he 
represented  them  as  being. 

"  Has  the  pump  been  worked? "  I  inquired. 

He  lifted  his  fingers  as  I  asked  the  question,  and  I 
could  hear  the  beat  of  the  pump  throbbing  through 
the  dull  roar  of  the  wind,  as  though  a  man  had  seized 
the  brake  of  it  in  response  to  my  inquiry. 

"Was  anyone  hurt  by  the  sea  as  you  rounded  to?" 
"Bobby  was  washed   aft,  sir,  but  he's  all  right 
ag'in." 

I  plied  him  with  further  questions,  mainly  concern- 
ing the  prospects  of  the  weather,  our  chances,  the 
drift  of  the  yacht,  that  I  might  know  into  what  part 
of  the  Channel  we  were  being  blown,  and  how  long  it 


A    MARRIAGE    AT   SEA.  77 

would  occupy  to  storm  us  at  this  rate  into  the  open 
Atlantic;  and  then,  asking  him  to  watch  by  Grace  for 
a  few  minutes,  I  dropped  on  my  knees  and  crawled  to 
my  cabin,  where  I  somehow  contrived  to  scramble 
into  my  boots,  coat,  and  cap.  I  then  made  for  the 
companion-steps,  still  on  my  knees,  and  clawed  my 
way  up  the  hatch  till  I  was  head  and  shoulders  above 
it,  and  there  I  stood,  looking. 

I  say  looking;  but  there  was  nothing  to  see,  save 
the  near,  vast,  cloud-like  spaces  of  foam,  hovering,  as 
it  seemed,  high  above  the  rail,  or  descending  the 
pouring  side  of  a  sea  like  bodies  of  mist  sweeping 
with  incredible  velocity  with  the  breath  of  the  gale- 
Past  these  dim  masses  the  water  lay  in  blackness — a 
huge  spread  of  throbbing  obscurity.  All  overhead 
was  mere  rushing  darkness.  The  wind  was  wet  with 
spray,  and  forward  there  would  show  at  intervals  a 
dull  shining  of  foam  flashing  transversely  across  the 
laboring  little  craft. 

It  was  blowing  hard,  indeed;  yet,  from  the  weight 
of  the  seas  and  the  motions  of  the  Spitfire,  I  could 
have  supposed  the  gale  severer  than  it  was.  I 
returned  to  the  cabin;  and  Caudel,  after  putting  on 
his  oil-skins  and  swallowing  a  glass  of  brandy  and 
water — the  materials  for  which  were  swaying  furi- 
ously in  a  silver-plated  swinging  tray  suspended  over 
the  table — went  on  deck,  leaving  the  companion- 
cover  a  little  way  open  in  case  I  should  desire  to  quit 
the  cabin. 

Until  the  dawn,  and  some  time  past  it,  I  sat  close 
beside  Grace,  holding  her  hand  or  bathing  her  brow. 


78  A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA. 

She  never  spoke;  she  seldom  opened  her  eyes,  indeed; 
she  lay  as  though  utterly  prostrated,  without  power 
to  articulate,  or  perhaps  even  to  think.  It  was  the 
effect  of  fear,  however,  rather  than  of  nausea.  At 
any  rate,  I  remember  hoping  so,  for  I  had  heard 
of  people  dying  of  seasickness,  and  if  the  weather 
that  had  stormed  down  upon  us  continued,  it  might 
end  in  killing  her;  whereas  the  daylight,  and  perhaps 
some  little  break  of  blue  sky,  would  reanimate  her  if 
her  sufferings  were  owing  to  terror  only,  and  when 
she  found  the  little  craft  buoyant  and  our  lives  in  no 
danger,  her  spirits  would  rise  and  her  strength  return. 


V. 

The  blessed  daylight  came  at  last.  I  spied  the 
weak,  wet  gray  of  it  in  a  corner  of  the  skylight  that 
had  been  left  uncovered  by  the  tarpaulin  which  was 
spread  over  the  glass.  I  looked  closely  at  Grace,  and 
found  her  asleep.  I  could  not  be  sure  at  first,  so 
motionless  had  she  been  lying;  but  when  I  put  my 
ear  close  to  her  mouth  the  regularity  of  her  respira- 
tion convinced  me  that  she  was  slumbering. 

That  she  should  be  able  to  snatch  even  ten  min- 
utes of  sleep  cheered  me.  Yet  my  spirits  were  very 
heavy;  every  bone  in  me  ached  with  pain  as  of  rheu- 
matism; though  I  did  not  feel  sick,  my  brain  seemed 
to  reel,  and  the  sensation  of  giddiness  was  hardly  less 
miserable  and  depressing  than  nausea  itself.  I  stood 
up,  and  with  great  difficulty  caught  the  brandy  as  it 
flew  from  side  to  side  on  the  swinging  tray  and  took 
a  dram,  and  then  clawed  my  way  as  before  to  the 
companion-steps,  and  opening  the  cover,  got  into  the 
hatch  and  stood  looking  at  the  picture  of  my  yacht 
and  the  sea. 

There  was  no  one  at  the  helm;  the  tiller  was  lashed 
to  leeward.  The  shock  I  received  on  observing  no 
one  aft,  finding  the  helm  abandoned,  as  it  seemed  to 
me,  I  shall  never  forget.  The  tiller  was  the  first 
object  I  saw  as  I  rose  through  the  hatch,  and  my 
instant  belief  was  that  all  my  people  had  been  swept 


80  A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA. 

overboard.  On  looking  forward,  however,  I  spied 
Caudel  and  some  of  the  other  men  at  work  about  the 
mast.  I  am  no  sailor,  and  can  not  tell  you  what  they 
were  doing,  beyond  saying  that  they  were  securing 
the  mast  by  affixing  tackles  and  so  forth  to  it.  But  I 
had  no  eyes  for  them  or  their  work;  I  could  only  gaze 
at  my  ruined  yacht,  which  at  every  heave  appeared 
to  be  pulling  herself  together,  as  it  were,  for  the  final 
plunge.  A  mass  of  cordage  littered  the  deck;  the 
head  of  the  mast  showed  in  splinters,  while  the  spar 
itself  looked  withered,  naked,  blasted,  as  though 
struck  by  lightning.  The  decks  were  full  of  water, 
which  was  flashed  above  the  rail,  where  it  was  in- 
stantly swept  away  by  the  gale  in  a  smoke  of  crystals. 
The  black  gear  wriggled  and  rose  to  the  wash  of  the 
water  over  the  planks  like  a  huddle  of  eels.  A  large 
space  of  the  bulwarks  on  the  port  side,  abreast  of  the 
mast,  was  smashed  level  with  the  deck.  The  gray 
sky  seemed  to  hover  within  musket-shot  of  us,  and  it 
w«nt  down  to  the  sea  in  a  slate-colored  weeping  body 
of  thickness  to  within  a  couple  of  hundred  fathoms, 
while  the  dark -green  surges,  as  they  came  rolling  in 
foam  from  out  of  the  windward  wall  of  blankness, 
looked  enormous. 

Caudel  on  seeing  me  came  scrambling  to  the  com- 
panion. The  salt  of  the  flying  wet  had.  dried  in  the 
hollows  of  his  eyes,  and  lay  in  a  sort  of  white  powder 
there,  insomuch  that  he  was  scarcely  recognizable. 
It  was  impossible  to  hear  him  amid  that  roaring  com- 
motion, and  I  descended  the  ladder  by  a  step  or  two 
to  enable  him  to  put  his  head  into  the  hatch.  He 


A   MARRIAGE    AT    SEA.  81 

tried  to  look  cheerful,  but  there  was  a  curl  in  the  set 
of  his  mouth  that  neutralized  the  efforts  of  his  eye. 
He  entered  into  a  nautical  explanation  of  our  condi- 
tion, the  terms  of  which  I  forget. 

"  But  how  is  it  with  the  hull,  Caudel?"  I  inquired. 
"  Surely  this  wild  tossing  must  be  straining  the  vessel 
frightfully.  Does  she  continue  to  take  in  water?" 

"  I  must  not  deceive  you,  sir,"  he  answered;  "she 
do.  But  a  short  spell  at  the  pump  sarves  to  chuck  it 
all  out  ag'in,  and  so  there's  no  call  for  your  honor  to 
be  oneasy." 

He  returned  to  the  others,  while  I,  heart-sickened  by 
the  intelligence  that  the  Spitfire  had  sprung  a  leak — 
for  that,  I  felt,  must  be  the  plain  English  of  Caudel's 
assurance — continued  standing  a  few  moments  longer 
in  the  hatch,  looking  around.  Ugly  wings  of  vapor- 
patches  and  fragments  of  dirty  yellow  scud  flew  fast, 
loose,  and  low  under  the  near  gray,  wet  stoop  of  the 
sky;  they  made  the  only  break  in  the  firmament  of 
storm.  The  smother  of  the  weather  was  thickened  yet 
by  the  clouds  of  spray,  which  rose  like  bursts  of  steam 
from  the  sides  and  heads  of  the  seas,  making  one 
think  of  the  fierce  gusts  and  guns  of  the  gale  as  of 
wolves  tearing  mouthfuls  with  sharp  teeth  from  the 
flanks  and  backs  of  the  rushing  and  roaring  chase 
they  pursued. 

Grace  was  awake,  sitting  upright,  but  in  a  listless, 
lolling,  helpless  posture.  I  was  thankful,  however,  to 
find  her  capable  of  the  exertion  even  of  sitting  erect. 
I  crept  to  her  side,  and  held  her  to  me  to  cherish  and 
comfort  her. 


82  A    MARRIAGE    AT   SEA. 

"  Oh,  this  weary,  weary  motion  !  "  she  cried,  press- 
ing her  hand  upon  her  temples. 

"  It  can  not  last  much  longer,  my  darling,"  I  said. 
"  The  gale  is  fast  blowing  itself  out,  and  then  we  shall 
have  blue  skies  and  smooth  water  again." 

"Can  we  not  land,  Herbert?"  she  asked,  feebly,  in 
my  ear,  with  her  cheek  upon  my  shoulder. 

"Would  to  God  that  were  possible  within  the  next 
five  minutes  !  "  I  answered. 

"Whereabouts  are  we? " 

"lean  not  tell  exactly;  but  when  this  weather  breaks, 
we  shall  find  the  English  coast  within  easy  reach." 

"  Oh,  do  not  let  us  wait  until  we  get  to  Mount's 
Bay  !  "  she  cried. 

"  My  pet,  the  nearest  port  will  be  our  port  now,  de- 
pend upon  it." 

The  day  passed — a  day  of  ceaseless  storm,  and  of 
such  tossing  as  only  a  smacksman  who  has  fished  in  the 
North  Sea  in  winter  could  know  anything  about.  The 
spells  at  the  pump  grew  more  frequent  as  the  hours 
progressed,  and  the  wearisome  beat  of  the  plied  brake 
affected  my  imagination  as  though  it  had  been  the 
tolling  of  our  funeral  bell.  I  hardly  required  Caudel 
to  tell  me  the  condition  of  the  yacht,  when,  some 
time  between  eight  and  nine  o'clock  that  night,  he  put 
his  head  into  the  hatch  and  motioned  me  to  ascend. 

"  It's  my  duty  to  tell  ye,  Mr.  Barclay,"  he  exclaimed, 
whispering  hoarsely  into  my  ear,  in  the  comparative 
shelter  of  the  companion-cover,  that  Grace  might  not 
overhear  him,  "that  the  leak's  a-gaining  upon  us." 

I  had  guessed  as  much,  yet  this  confirmation  of  my 


A    MARRIAGE    AT   SEA.  83 

conjecture  affected  me  as  violently  as  though  I  had 
had  no  previous  suspicion  of  the  state  of  the  yacht.  J 
was  thunder-struck;  I  felt  the  blood  forsake  my  cheeks, 
and  for  some  moments  I  could  not  find  my  voice. 

"  You  do  not  mean  to  tell  me,  Caudel,  that  the  yacht 
is  actually  sinking  ?  " 

"  No,  sir.  But  the  pump'll  have  to  be  kept  con- 
tinually going,  if  she's  to  remain  afloat.  I'm  afeerd 
when  the  mast  went  over  the  side  that  a  blow  from  it 
started  a  butt,  and  the  leak's  growing  worse  and  worse, 
consequence  of  the  working  of  the  craft." 

"Is  it  still  thick?" 

"As  mud,  sir." 

"Why  not  fire  the  gun  at  intervals?"  said  I, 
referring  to  the  little  brass  cannon  that  stood, 
mounted,  upon  the  quarter-deck. 

"I'm  afeerd — "  He  paused,  with  a  melancholy 
shake  of  his  head.  "Of  course,  Mr.  Barclay,"  he 
went  on,  "  if  it's  your  wish,  sir — but  it'll  do  no  more, 
I  allow,  than  frighten  the  lady.  'Tis  but  a  pea- 
shooter, sir,  and  the  gale's  like  thunder." 

"We  are  in  your  hands,  Caudel,"  said  I,  with  a 
feeling  of  despair  ice-cold  at  my  heart,  as  I  reflected 
upon  the  size  of  our  little  craft,  her  crippled  and 
sinking  condition,  our  distance  from  land,  as  I  felt 
the  terrible  weight  and  power  of  the  seas  which  were 
tossing  us,  and  as  I  thought  of  my  sweetheart. 

"Mr.  Barclay,"  he  answered,  "if  the  weather  do 
but  moderate  I  shall  have  no  fear.  Our  case  ain't 
hopeless  yet,  by  a  long  way,  sir.  The  water's  to  be 
kept  under  by  continuous  pumping,  and  there  are 


84  A   MARRIAGE    AT    SEA. 

hands  enough  and  to  spare  for  that  job.  We're  not 
in  the  middle  of  the  Atlantic  Ocean,  but  in  the 
mouth  of  the  English  Channel,  with  plenty  of  ship- 
ping knocking  about.  But  the  weather's  got  to 
moderate.  Firing  that  there  gun  'ud  only  be  to  ter- 
rify the  young  lady  and  do  no  good.  If  a  ship  came 
along,  no  boat  could  live  in  this  sea.  In  this  here 
blackness  she  couldn't  keep  us  company,  and  our 
rockets  wouldn't  be  visible  half  a  mile  off.  No,  sir, 
we've  got  to  stick  to  the  pump  and  pray  for  daylight 
and  fine  weather."  And  having  no  more  to  say  to 
me,  or  a  sudden  emotion  checking  his  utterance,  he 
pulled  his  head  out  and  disappeared  in  the  obscurity. 
Grace  asked  me  what  Caudel  had  been  talking 
about,  and  I  answered,  with  the  utmost  composure  I 
could  muster,  that  he  had  come  to  tell  me  the  yacht 
was  making  a  noble  fight  of  it  and  thatt  here  was 
nothing  to  cause  alarm.  I  had  not  the  heart  to 
respond  otherwise;  nor  could  the  bare  truth,  as  I 
understood  it,  have  served  any  other  end  than  to 
deprive  her  of  her  senses.  Even  now,  I  seemed  to 
find  an  expression  of  wildness  in  her  beautiful  eyes, 
as  though  the  tension  of  her  nerves — along  with  the 
weary,  endless  hours  of  delirious  pitching  and  tossing — 
was  beginning  to  tell  upon  her  brain.  I  sought  to 
comfort  her;  I  caressed  her,  I  strained  her  to  my 
heart,  while  I  exerted  my  whole  soul  to  look  cheer- 
fully and  to  speak  cheerfully,  and,  thank  God  !  the 
influence  of  my  true,  deep  love  prevailed.  She  spoke 
tranquilly;  the  brilliant,  staring  look  of  her  eyes  was 
softened;  occasionally  she  would  smile  as  she  lay  in 


A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA.  85 

my  arms,  while  I  rattled  on,  struggling,  with  a  resolu- 
tion that  now  seems  preternatural  to  me,  when  I  look 
back,  to  distract  her  attention  from  our  situation. 

At  one  o'clock  in  the  morning  she  fell  asleep,  and 
I  knelt  by  her  sleeping  form  and  prayed  for  mercy 
and  protection. 

It  was  much  about  this  hour  that  Caudel's  face 
again  showed  in  the  hatch.  I  crawled  along  the  deck 
and  up  the  steps  to  him,  and  he  immediately  said  to 
me,  in  a  voice  that  trembled  with  agitation  : 

"  Mr.  Barclay,  good  news,  sir!  The  gale's  a-taking 
off."  I  clasped  my  hands,  and  could  have  hugged 
the  dripping  figure  of  the  man  to  my  breast. 

"  Yes,  sir,"  he  continued,  "  the  breeze  is  slacken- 
ing. There's  no  mistake  about  it.  The  horizon's 
opening,  too." 

"  Heaven  be  praised !  And  what  of  the  leak, 
Caudel  ? " 

"  'Tain't  worse  than  it  was,  sir;  though  it's  bad 
enough." 

"  If  the  weather  should  moderate — " 

"  Well,  then,  if  the  leak  don't  gain,  we  may  manage 
to  carry  her  home.  That'll  have  to  be  found  out,  sir. 
But,  seeing  the  yacht's  condition,  I  shall  be  for  trans- 
shipping you  and  the  lady  to  anything  inward  bound 
that  may  happen  to  come  along.  Us  men'll  take  the 
yacht  to  port,  providing  she'll  let  us."  He  paused, 
and  then  said:  "There  might  be  no  harm  now, 
perhaps,  in  firing  off  that  there  gun.  If  a  smack  'ud 
show  herself  she'd  be  willing  to  stand  by  for  the 
sake  of  the  salvage.  We'll  also  send  up  a  few 


86  A    MARRIAGE   AT   SEA. 

rockets,  sir.  But  how  about  the  young  lady,  Mr. 
Barclay? " 

"  Everything  must  be  done,"  I  replied,  "  that  is 
likely  to  preserve  our  lives." 

There  was  some  gunpowder  aboard,  but  where 
Caudel  had  stowed  it  I  did  not  know.  However,  five 
minutes  after  he  had  left  me,  and  while  I  was  sitting 
by  the  side  of  my  sweetheart,  who  still  slept,  the  gun 
was  discharged.  It  sent  a  small  shock  through  the 
little  fabric,  as  though  she  had  gently  touched  ground, 
or  had  run  into  some  floating  object;  but  the  report, 
blending  with  the  commotion  of  the  sea  and  the  bell- 
like  ringing  and  wolfish  howling  of  the  wind,  pene- 
trated the  deck  in  a  note  so  dull  that  Grace  never 
stirred.  Ten  or  twelve  times  was  this  little  cannon 
discharged  at  intervals  of  five  or  ten  minutes,  and  I 
could  hear  the  occasional  rush  of  a  rocket  like  the 
sneeze  of  a  giant  sounding  through  the  stormy  uproar. 

From  time  to  time  I  would  creep  up  into  the  com- 
panion, always  in  the  hope  of  finding  the  lights  of  a 
ship  close  to;  but  nothing  came  of  our  rockets,  while 
I  doubt  if  the  little  blast  the  quarter-deck  pop-gun 
delivered  was  audible  half  a  mile  away  to  wind- 
ward. But,  though  the  night  remained  a  horribly 
black  shadow,  the  blacker  for  the  phantasmal  sheets  of 
foam  which  defined  without  illuminating  it,  the  wind 
about  this  time — somewhere  between  four  and  five 
o'clock — had  greatly  moderated.  Yet  at  dawn  it  was 
blowing  hard  still,  with  an  iren-gray  freckled  sea 
rolling  hollow  and  confusedly,  and  a  near  horizon 
thick  with  mist 


A   MARRIAGE    AT    SEA.  87 

There  was  nothing  in  sight.  The  yacht  looked 
deplorably  sodden  and  wrecked  as  she  pitched  and 
wallowed  in  the  cold,  desolate,  ashen  atmosphere  of 
that  day-break.  The  men,  too,  wore  the  air  of  casta- 
way mariners,  fagged,  salt- whitened,  pinched;  and 
their  faces — even  the  boy's  —  looked  aged  with 
anxiety. 

I  called  to  Caudel.  He  approached  me  slowly,  as 
a  man  might  walk  after  a  swim  that  has  nearly  spent 
him. 

"  Here  is  another  day,  Caudel.  What  is  to  be 
done? " 

"  What  can  be  done,  sir?  "  answered  the  poor  fel- 
low, with  the  irritation  of  exhaustion  and  of  anxiety 
but  little  removed  from  despair.  "  We  must  go  on 
pumping  for  our  lives,  and  pray  to  God  that  we  may 
be  picked  up." 

"  Why  not  get  sail  upon  the  yacht,  put  her  before 
the  wind,  and  run  for  the  French  coast? " 

"If  you  like,  sir,"  he  answered,  languidly;  "but 
it's  a  long  stretch  to  the  French  coast,  and  if  the  wind 
should  shift — "  He  paused,  and  looked  as  though 
worry  had  weakened  his  mind  a  little  and  rendered 
him  incapable  of  deciding  swiftly  and  for  the  best. 

The  boy  Bobby  was  pumping,  and  I  took  notice  of 
the  glassy  clearness  of  the  water  as  it  gushed  out  to 
the  strokes  of  the  little  brake.  The  others  of  my 
small  crew  were  crouching  under  the  lee  of  the 
weather  bulwark. 

Before  returning  to  Grace,  I  looked  at  our  little 
boat — she  was  just  a  yacht's  dinghy — and  thought  of 


88  A    MARRIAGE    AT   SEA. 

the  slender  chance  of  saving  our  lives  the  tiny  ark 
would  provide  us  with — seven  souls  in  a  boat  fit  tc 
hold  five,  and  then  only  in  smooth  water! 

Grace  was  awake  when  I  had  gone  on  deck  at  day- 
break, though  she  had  slept  for  two  or  three  hours 
very  soundly,  never  once  moving  when  the  cannon 
was  discharged,  frequent  as  the  report  had  been.  On 
my  descending  she  begged  me  to  take  her  on  deck. 

"  I  shall  be  able  to  stand  if  I  hold  your  arm,"  she 
said,  "and  the  air  will  do  me  good." 

But  I  had  not  the  heart  to  let  her  view  the  sea,  nof 
the  wet,  broken,  shipwrecked  figure  the  yacht  made, 
with  water  flying  over  the  bow,  and  water  gushing 
from  the  pump,  and  the  foam  flashing  among  the  rig- 
ging that  still  littered  the  deck  as  the  brine  roared 
from  side  to  side. 

"No,  my  darling,"  said  I;  "for  the  present  you 
must  keep  below.  The  wind,  thank  God,  is  fast 
moderating,  and  the  sea  will  be  falling  presently. 
But  you  can  not  imagine,  until  you  attempt  to  move, 
how  violently  the  Spitfire  rolls  and  pitches.  Besides, 
the  decks  are  full  of  water,  and  a  single  wild  heave 
might  throw  us  both  and  send  us  flying  overboard." 

She  shuddered,  and  said  no  more  about  going  on 
deck.  In  spite  of  her  having  slept,  her  eyes  seemed 
languid.  Her  cheeks  were  colorless,  and  there  was 
an  expression  of  fear  and  expectation  that  made  my 
heart  mad  to  behold  in  her  sweet,  young  face,  which, 
when  all  was  well  with  her,  wore  a  most  delicate 
bloom,  while  it  was  lovely  with  a  sort  of  light  that 
was  like  a  smile  in  expressions  even  of  perfect  repose. 


A   MARRIAGE    AT   SEA.  89 

/  had  brought  her  to  this  !  Before  another  day  had 
closed,  her  love  for  me  might  have  cost  her  her  life  | 
I  could  not  bear  to  think  of  it;  I  could  not  bear  to 
look  at  her;  and  I  broke  down,  burying  my  face  in 
my  hands. 

She  put  her  arm  round  my  neck,  pressed  her 
cheek  to  mine,  but  said  nothing  until  the  two  or  three 
dry  sobs  which  shook  me  to  my  very  inmost  soul 
had  passed. 

"  Anxiety  and  want  of  sleep  have  made  you  ill," 
she  said.  "  I  am  sure  all  will  end  well,  Herbert. 
The  storm,  you  say,  is  passing;  and  then  we  shall  be 
able  to  steer  for  the  nearest  port.  You  will  not  wait 
now  to  reach  Penzance? " 

I  shook  my  head,  unable  to  speak. 

"We  have  both  had  enough  of  the  sea,"  she  con- 
tinued; forcing  a  smile  that  vanished  in  the  next 
breath  she  drew;  "but  you  could  not  have  foretold 
this  storm.  And  even  now,  would  you  have  me  any- 
where else  but  here? "  said  she,  putting  her  cheek  to 
mine  again.  "  Rest  your  head  on  my  shoulder  and 
sleep.  I  feel  better,  and  will  instantly  awaken  you  if 
there  is  any  occasion  to  do  so." 

I  was  about  to  make  some  answer,  when  I  heard  a 
loud,  and,  as  it  appeared  to  me,  a  fearful  cry  on  deck. 
Before  I  could  spring  to  my  feet,  some  one  heavily 
thumped  the  companion-hatch,  flinging  the  sliding 
cover  wide  open  an  instant  after,  and  Caudel's  voice 
roared  down  : 

"  Mr.  Barclay  !  Mr.  Barclay  !  there's  a  big  ship 
close  aboard  us !  She's  rounding  to.  Come  on 


90  MARRIAGE    AT    SEA. 

deck,  for  God's  sake,  sir,  that  we  may  larn  your 
wishes." 

Bidding  Grace  remain  where  she  was,  I  sprung  to 
the  companion-steps,  and  the  first  thing  I  saw  on 
emerging  was  a  large,  full-rigged  ship,  with  painted 
ports,  under  small  canvas,  and  in  the  act  of  rounding 
to,  with  her  main-top-sail  yard  slowly  swinging  aback. 
Midway  the  height  of  our  little  mizzen-mast  streamed 
the  ensign,  which  Caudel  or  one  of  the  men  had 
hoisted,  the  union  down;  but  our  wrecked  mast  and 
the  fellow  laboring  at  the  pump  must  have  told  our 
story  to  the  sight  of  that  ship  with  an  eloquence  that 
could  gather  but  little  emphasis  from  the  signal  of 
distress  streaming  like  a  square  of  flame  half-mast 
high  at  our  stern. 

It  was  broad  daylight  now,  with  a  lightening  in 
the  darkness  to  windward  that  opened  out  twice  the 
distance  of  sea  that  was  to  be  measured  before  I  went 
below.  The  ship,  a  noble  structure,  was  well  within 
hail,  rolling  somewhat  heavily,  but  with  a  majestical 
slow  motion.  There  was  a  crowd  of  sailors  on  her 
forecastle  staring  at  us,  and  I  remember  even  in  that 
supreme  moment  noticing — so  tricksy  is  the  human 
intelligence — how  ghastly  white  the  cloths  of  her  top- 
mast-staysail showed  by  contrast  with  the  red  and 
blue  shirts  and  other  colored  apparel  of  the  mob  of 
seamen,  and  against  the  spread  of  dusky  sky  beyond. 
There  was  also  a  little  knot  of  people  on  the 
poop,  and  a  man  standing  near  them,  but  alone; 
as  I  watched  him  he  took  what  I  gathered  to  be 
a  speaking-trumpet  from  the  hand  of  the  young  ap- 


A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA.  91 

prentice  or  ordinary  seaman  who  had  run  to  him 
with  it. 

"Now,  Mr.  Barclay/'  cried  Caudel,  in  a  voice 
vibrating  with  excitement,  "there's  yours  and  the 
lady's  hopportunity,  sir.  But  what's  your  instruc- 
tions ?  what's  your  wishes,  sir?  " 

"  My  wishes?  How  can  you  ask?  We  must  leave 
the  Spitfire.  She  is  already  half  drowned.  She  will 
sink  when  you  stop  pumping." 

"Right,  sir,"  he  exclaimed;  and  without  another 
word  he  posted  himself  at  the  rail  in  a  posture  of  at- 
tention, his  eyes  upon  the  ship. 

She  was  apparently  a  vessel  bound  to  some  Indian 
or  Australian  port,  and  seemingly  full  of  passengers, 
for  even  as  I  stood  watching,  the  people  in  twos  and 
threes  arrived  on  the  poop  or  got  upon  the  main-deck 
bulwark-rail  to  view  us.  She  was  a  long,  iron  ship — 
red  beneath  the  water-line,  and  the  long  streak  of 
that  color  glared  out  over  the  foam  dissolving  at  the 
sides  like  a  flash  of  crimson  sunset  as  she  rolled  from 
us.  Whenever  she  hove  her  stern  up,  gay  with  what 
might  have  passed  as  gilt  quarter  badges,  I  could 
read  her  name  in  long,  white  letters — Carthusian — 
London. 

"Yacht  ahoy!  "  now  came  in  a  hearty  tempestuous 
shout  through  the  speaking-trumpet  which  the  man  I 
had  before  noticed  lifted  to  his  lips. 

"  Halloo!  "  shouted  Caudel  in  response. 

"What  is  wrong  with  you?  " 

"Wessel's  makin'  water  fast,  and  ye  can  see," 
shrieked  Caudel,  pointing  at  our  wrecked  and  naked 


92  A   MARRIAGE   AT    SEA. 

mast,  "  what  our  state  is.  The  owner  and  a  lady's 
aboard,  and  want  to  leave  the  yacht.  Will  you  stand 
by  till  you  can  receive  'em,  sir?  " 

The  man  with  the  speaking-trumpet  elevated  his 
hand,  in  token  that  he  heard,  and  appeared  to  con- 
sult with  another  figure  that  had  drawn  to  his  side. 
He  then  took  a  long  look  round  at  the  weather,  and 
afterward  put  the  tube  again  to  his  mouth. 

"Yacht  ahoy! " 

"Halloo! " 

"We  will  stand  by  you;  but  we  can  not  launch  a 
boat  yet.  Does  the  water  gain  rapidly  upon  you? " 

"We can  keep  her  afloat  for  some  hours,  sir." 

The  man  again  elevated  his  hand,  and  crossed  to 
the  weather  side  of  his  ship,  to  signify,  I  presume, 
that  there  was  nothing  more  to  be  said. 

"  In  two  or  three  hours,  sir,  you  and  the  lady'll  be 
safe  aboard,"  cried  Caudel.  "  The  wind's  failing  fast, 
and  by  that  time  the  sea'll  be  flat  enough  for  one  of 
that  craft's  fine  boats." 

I  re-entered  the  cabin,  and  found  Grace  standing, 
supporting  herself  at  the  table.  Her  attitude  was 
full  of  expectancy  and  fear. 

"What  have  they  been  crying  out  on  deck, 
Herbert? "  she  exclaimed. 

"There  is  a  big  ship  close  by  us,  darling,"  I 
answered.  "  The  weather  is  fast  moderating,  and  by 
noon  I  hope  to  have  you  safe  on  board  of  her." 

"  On  board  of  her!  "  she  cried,  with  her  eyes  full  of 
wonder  and  alarm.  "  Do  you  mean  to  leave  the 
yacht? " 


A    MARRIAGE    AT   SEA.  93 

"  Yes.  I  have  heart  enough  to  tell  you  the  truth 
now;  she  has  sprung  a  leak,  and  is  taking  in  water 
rapidly,  and  we  must  abandon  her." 

She  dropped  upon  the  locker  with  her  hands 
clasped. 

"  Do  you  tell  me  she  is  sinking?  " 

"  We  must  abandon  her,"  I  cried.  "  Put  on  your  hat 
and  jacket,  my  darling.  The  deck  is  comparatively 
safe  now,  and  I  wish  the  people  on  board  the  ship  to 
see  you." 

She  was  so  overwhelmed,  however,  by  the  news 
that  she  appeared  incapable  of  motion.  I  procured 
her  jacket  and  hat,  and  presently  helped  her  to  put 
them  on,  and  then  grasping  her  firmly  by  the  waist,  I 
supported  her  to  the  companion-steps  and  carefully 
and  with  difficulty  got  her  on  deck,  making  her  sit 
under  the  lee  of  the  weather  bulwark — where  she 
would  be  visible  enough  to  the  people  of  the  ship  at 
every  windward  roll  of  the  yacht — and  crouched  be- 
side her  with  my  arm  linked  in  hers. 


VI. 

There  was  nothing  to  do  but  to  wait.  Some  little 
trifle  of  property  I  had  below  in  the  cabin,  but  nothing 
that  I  cared  to  burden  myself  with  at  such  a  time. 
All  the  money  I  had  brought  with  me,  bank-notes  and 
some  gold,  was  in  the  pocket-book  I  carried.  As  for 
my  sweetheart's  wardrobe,  what  she  had  with  her,  as 
you  know,  she  wore,  so  that  she  would  be  leaving 
nothing  behind  her.  But  never  can  I  forget  the  ex- 
pression of  her  face,  and  the  exclamations  of  horror 
and  astonishment  which  escaped  her  lips,  when,  on 
my  seating  her  under  the  bulwark,  she  sent  a  look  at 
the  yacht.  The  soaked,  strained,  mutilated  appear- 
ance of  the  little  craft  persuaded  her  she  was  sinking, 
even  as  we  sat  together  looking.  At  every  plunge  of 
the  bows  she  would  tremulously  suck  in  her  breath 
and  bite  upon  her  under  lip,  with  nervous  twitchings 
of  her  fingers  and  a  recoil  of  her  whole  figure  against 
me. 

It  was  some  half  hour  or  so  after  our  coming  on 
deck,  that  Caudel,  quitting  the  pump  at  which  he  had 
been  taking  a  spell,  approached  me,  and  said: 

"  You'll  onderstand,  of  course,  Mr.  Barclay,  that  I, 
as  master  of  this  yacht,  sticks  to  her?" 

"What!"  cried  I,  "to  be  drowned?" 

"  I  sticks  to  her,  sir,"  he  repeated,  with  the  empha- 
sis of  irritability  in  his  manner,  that  was  not  at  all 
wanting  in  respect,  either.  "  I  dorn't  mean  to  say  if 

(94) 


A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA.  95 

it  should  come  on  to  blow  another  gale  afore  that 
there  craft — "  indicating  the  ship,  "receives  ye,  that  I 
wouldn't  go,  too;  but  the  weather's  a-moderating;  it'll 
be  taming  fine  afore  long,  and  I'm  a-going  to  sail  the 
Spitfire  home." 

"I  hope,  Caudel,"  said  I,  astonished  by  this  reso- 
lution in  him,  "  that  you'll  not  stick  to  her  on  my 
account.  Let  the  wretched  craft  go,  and — "  I  held 
the  rest  behind  my  teeth. 

"  No,  sir.  There'll  be  nothin'  to  hurt  in  the  leak  if 
so  be  as  the  weather  gets  better;  and  it's  fast  getting 
better,  as  you  can  see.  What!  let  a  pretty  little  dandy 
craft  like  the  Spitfire  go  down  merely  for  the  want  of 
pumping?  All  of  us  men  are  agreed  to  stick  to  her 
and  carry  her  home." 

Grace  looked  at  me;  I  understood  the  meaning  her 
eyes  conveyed,  and  exclaimed: 

"  The  men  will  do  as  they  please.  They  are  plucky 
fellows,  and  if  they  carry  the  yacht  home  she  shall  be 
sold,  and  what  she  fetches  divided  among  them.  But 
/  have  had  enough  of  her — and  more  than  enough  of 
yachting.  I  must  see  you,  my  pet,  safe  on  board 
some  ship  that  does  not  leak." 

"  I  could  not  live  through  another  night  in  the 
Spitfire"  she  exclaimed. 

"  No,  miss,  no,"  rumbled  Caudel,  soothingly;  "  nor 
would  it  be  right  and  proper  that  you  should  be  asked 
to  live  through  it.  They'll  be  sending  for  ye  presently; 
though,  of  course,  as  the  wessel's  outward  bound," 
— here  he  ran  his  eyes  slowly  round  the  sea — "ye've 
got  to  consider  that  on  less  she  falls  in  soon  with  some- 


96  A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA. 

thing  that'll  land  you,  why,  then,  of  course,  you  both 
stand  to  have  a  longer  spell  of  sea-faring  than  Mr. 
Barclay  and  me  calculated  upon  when  this  here  elope- 
ment was  planned." 

"  Where  is  she  bound  to,  I  wonder?"  I  said,  viewing 
the  tall,  noble  vessel  with  a  yearning  to  be  aboard  her 
with  Grace  at  my  side. 

"  To  Australia,  I  allow,"  answered  Caudel.  "  Them 
passengers  ye  sees  forrards  and  along  the  bulwark-rail 
ain't  of  the  sort  that  goes  to  Chaney  or  the  Hindies." 

"  We  can't  go  to  Australia,  Herbert,"  said  Grace, 
surveying  me  with  startled  eyes. 

"  My  dear  Grace,  there  are  plenty  of  ships  betwixt 
this  Channel  and  Australia — plenty  hard  by — rolling 
home  and  willing  to  land  us  for  a  few  sovereigns, 
would  their  steersmen  only  shift  their  helm  and  ap- 
proach within  hail." 

But,  though  there  might  be  truth  in  this  for  aught 
I  knew,  it  was  a  thing  easier  to  say  than  to  mean,  as  I 
felt  when  I  cast  my  eyes  upon  the  dark-green,  frothing 
waters  still  shrouded  to  within  a  mile  or  so  past  the 
ship  by  the  damp  and  dirty  gray  of  the  now  fast  expir- 
ing gale  that  had  plunged  us  into  this  miserable  situa- 
tion. There  was  nothing  to  be  seen  but  the  Carthu- 
sian, rolling  solemnly  and  grandly  to  windward,  and 
the  glancing  of  white  heads  of  foam  arching  out  of  the 
thickness  and  running  sullenly,  but  with  weight,  too, 
along  the  course  of  the  wind. 

The  ship,  having  canvas  upon  her,  settled  slowly 
upon  our  bow  at  a  safe  distance,  but  our  drift  was 
very  nearly  hers,  and  during  those  weary  hours  of  wait- 


A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA.  97 

ing  for  the  sea  to  abate,  the  two  craft  fairly  held  the  rel- 
ative positions  they  had  occupied  at  the  outset.  The 
interest  we  excited  in  the  people  aboard  of  her  was 
ceaseless.  The  line  of  her  bulwarks  remained  dark 
with  heads,  and  the  glimmer  of  the  white  faces  gave 
an  odd,  pulsing  look  to  the  whole  length  of  them,  as  the 
heave  of  the  ship  alternated  the  stormy  light.  They 
believed  us  on  our  own  report  to  be  sinking,  and  that 
might  account  for  their  tireless  gaze  and  riveted  atten- 
tion. 

On  a  sudden,  much  about  the  hour  of  noon,  there 
came  a  lull;  the  wind  dropped  as  if  by  magic;  here  and 
there  over  the  wide,  green  surface  of  the  ocean  the 
foam  glanced,  but  in  the  main  the  billows  ceased  to 
break  and  charged  in  a  troubled  but  fast  moderating 
swell.  A  kind  of  brightness  sat  in  the  east,  and  the 
horizon  opened  to  its  normal  confines;  but  it  was 
a  desolate  sea — nothing  in  sight  save  the  ship, 
though  I  eagerly  and  anxiously  scanned  the  whole 
circle  of  the  waters. 

The  two  vessels  had  widened  their  distance,  yet  the 
note  of  the  hail,  if  dull,  was  perfectly  distinct: 

"  Yacht  ahoy!     We're  going  to  send  a  boat." 

I  saw  a  number  of  figures  in  motion  on  the  ship's 
poop;  the  aftermost  boat  was  then  swung  through  the 
davits  over  the  side,  four  or  five  men  entered  her,  and 
a  minute  later  she  sunk  to  the  water. 

"  Here  they  come,  Grace!  "  cried  I.  "  At  last,  thank 
Heaven!  " 

"  Oh,  Herbert,  I  shall  never  be  able  to  enter  her!  " 
she  exclaimed,  shrinking  to  my  side. 
7 


98  A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA. 

But  I  knew  better,  and  made  answer  with  a  caress 
only. 

The  oars  rose  and  fell,  the  boat  showed  and  vanished, 
showed  and  vanished  again,  as  she  came  buzzing  to  the 
yacht  to  the  impulse  of  the  powerfully  swept  blades. 
Caudel  stood  by  with  some  coils  of  line  in  his  hand;  the 
end  was  flung,  caught,  and  in  a  trice  the  boat  was  along- 
side; and  a  sunburned,  reddish-haired  man  in  a  suit  of 
serge,  and  with  a  naval  peak  to  his  cap,  tumbled  with  the 
dexterity  of  a  monkey  over  the  yacht's  rail. 

He  looked  around  him  an  instant,  and  then  came 
straight  up  to  Grace  and  me,  taking  the  heaving  and 
slanting  deck  as  easily  as  though  it  had  been  the  floor 
of  a  ball-room. 

"  I  am  the  second  mate  of  the  Carthusian"  said  he, 
touching  his  hat,  with  an  expression  of  astonishment 
and  admiration  in  his  eyes  as  he  looked  at  Grace. 
"  Are  all  your  people  ready  to  leave,  sir?  Captain  Par- 
sons is  anxious  that  there  should  be  no  delay." 

"The  lady  and  I  are  perfectly  ready,"  said  I,  "but 
my  men  have  made  up  their  minds  to  stick  to  the 
yacht,  with  the  hope  of  carrying  her  home." 

He  looked  around  to  Caudel,  who  stood  near. 

"  Ay,  sir,  that's  right,"  said  the  worthy  fellow.  "  It's 
a-going  to  be  fine  weather,  and  the  water's  to  be  kept 
under." 

The  second  mate  ran  his  eye  over  the  yacht  with 
a  short-lived  look  of  puzzlement  in  his  face,  then 
addressed  me: 

"  We  had  thought  your  case  a  hopeless  one,  sir." 

"  So  it  is,"  I  answered. 


A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA.  99 

"  Are  you  wise  in  your  resolution,  my  man? "  he 
exclaimed,  turning  to  Caudel  again. 

"Ay,  sir,"  answered  Caudel,  doggedly,  as  though 
anticipating  an  argument.  "  Who's  a-going  to  leave 
such  a  dandy  craft  as  this  to  founder  for  the  want  of 
keeping  a  pump  going  for  a  day  or  two?  There  are 
four  men  and  a  boy  all  resolved,  and  we'll  manage  it," 
he  added,  emphatically. 

"  The  yacht  is  in  no  fit  state  for  the  young  lady, 
any  way,"  said  the  second  mate.  "  Now,  sir,  and 
you,  madame,  if  you  are  ready."  And  he  put  his 
head  over  the  side  to  look  at  his  boat. 

I  helped  Grace  to  stand,  and  while  I  supported 
her  I  extended  my  hand  to  Caudel. 

"  God  bless  you  and  send  you  safe  home!  "  said  I. 
"Your  pluck  and  determination  make  me  feel  but  half 
a  man.  But  my  mind  is  resolved,  too.  Not  for 
worlds  must  Miss  Bellassys  pass  another  hour  in  this 
craft." 

He  shook  me  cordially  by  the  hand,  and  respect- 
fully bade  Grace  farewell.  The  others  of  my  crew 
approached,  leaving  one  pumping,  and  among  the 
strong  fellows  on  deck  and  in  the  boat — sinewy  arms 
to  raise  and  muscular  fists  to  receive  her — Grace, 
white  and  shrinking  and  exclaiming,  was  handed  dex- 
terously and  swiftly  down  over  the  side.  Watching 
my  chance,  I  sprung,  and  plumped  heavily  but  safely 
into  the  boat.  The  second  mate  then  followed,  and 
we  shoved  off. 

By  this  time  the  light  that  I  had  taken  notice  of  in 
the  east  had  brightened;  there  were  breaks  in  it,  with 


100  A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA. 

here  and  there  a  dim  vein  of  blue  sky,  and  the  waters 
beneath  had  a  gleam  of  steel  as  they  rolled  frothless 
and  swell-like.  In  fact,  it  was  easy  to  see  that  fine 
weather  was  at  hand ;  and  this  assurance  it  was  that 
reconciled  me  as  nothing  else  could  have  done  to  the 
fancy  of  Caudel  and  my  little  crew  carrying  the  leak- 
ing, crippled  yacht  home. 

The  men  in  the  boat  pulled  sturdily,  eying  Grace 
and  me  out  of  the  corners  of  their  eyes,  and  gnawing 
upon  the  hunks  of  tobacco  in  their  cheeks  as  though 
in  the  most  literal  manner  they  were  chewing  the  cud 
of  the  thoughts  put  into  them  by  this  encounter. 
The  second  mate  uttered  a  remark  or  two  about  the 
weather,  but  the  business  of  the  tiller  held  him  too 
busy  to  talk.  There  was  the  heavy  swell  to  watch, 
and  the  tall,  slowly-rolling,  metal  fabric  ahead  of  us  to 
steer  alongside  of.  For  my  part,  I  could  not  see  how 
Grace  was  to  get  aboard;  and,  observing  no  ladder 
over  the  side  as  we  rounded  under  the  vessel's 
stern,  I  asked  the  second  mate  how  we  were  to  man- 
age it. 

"  Oh,"  said  he,  "  we  shall  send  you  both  up  in  a 
chair  with  a  whip.  There's  the  block,"  he  added, 
pointing  to  the  yard-arm;  "and  the  line's  already 
rove,  you'll  observe." 

There  were  some  seventy  or  eighty  people  watch- 
ing us  as  we  drew  alongside,  all  staring  over  the  rail, 
and  from  the  forecastle,  and  from  the  poop,  as  one 
man.  I  remarked  a  few  bonnets  and  shawled  heads 
forward,  and  two  or  three  well-dressed  women  aft, 
otherwise  the  crowd  of  heads  belonged  to  men  emi- 


A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA.  101 

grants,  shabby  and  grimy — most  of  them  looking  sea- 
sick, I  thought,  as  they  overhung  the  side. 

A  line  was  thrown  from  the  ship,  and  the  boat 
hauled  under  the  yard-arm  whip,  where  she  lay  rising 
and  falling,  carefully  fended  off  from  the  vessel's  iron 
side  by  a  couple  of  the  men  in  her. 

"  Now,  then,  bear  a  hand!  "  shouted  a  voice  from 
the  poop.  "  Get  your  gangway  unshipped,  and  stand 
by  to  hoist  away  handsomely." 

A  minute  later  a  large  chair  with  arms  dangled 
over  our  heads,  and  was  caught  by  the  fellows  in  the 
boat.  A  more  uncomfortable,  nerve-capsizing  per- 
formance I  never  took  part  in.  The  water  washed 
with  a  thundering,  sobbing  sound  along  the  metal 
bends  of  the  ship,  that,  as  she  stooped  her  sides  into 
the  brine,  flashed  up  the  swell  in  froth,  hurling  toward 
us  also  a  recoiling  billow  which  made  the  dance  of 
the  boat  horribly  bewildering  and  nauseating.  One 
moment  we  were  floated,  as  it  seemed  to  my  eyes,  to 
the  level  of  the  bulwarks  of  the  stooping  ship;  the 
next  we  were  in  a  valley,  with  the  great  bare  hull 
leaning  away  from  us — an  immense  wet  surface  of  red 
and  black  and  checkered  band,  her  shrouds  vanishing 
in  a  slope,  and  her  yard-arms  forking  up  sky-high. 

"  Now,  madame,"  said  the  second  mate,  "will  you 
please  seat  yourself  in  that  chair? " 

Grace  was  very  white,  but  she  saw  that  it  must  be 
done,  and  with  set  lips  and  in  silence  was  helped  by 
the  sailors  to  seat  herself.  I  adored  her  then  for  her 
spirit,  for  I  confess  that  I  had  dreaded  she  would 
hang  back,  shriek  out,  cling  to  me,  and  complicate 


102  A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA. 

and  delay  the  miserable  business  by  her  terrors. 
She  was  securely  fastened  into  the  chair,  and  the 
second  mate  paused  for  the  chance. 

"  Hoist  away!  "  he  yelled,  and  up  went  my  darling, 
uttering  one  little  scream  only  as  she  soared. 

"Lower  away !"  and  by  the  line  that  was  attached  to 
the  chair  she  was  dragged  through  the  gangway, 
where  I  lost  sight  of  her. 

It  was  now  my  turn.  The  chair  descended,  and  I 
seated  myself,  not  without  several  yearning  glances 
at  the  sloping  side  of  the  ship,  which,  however,  only 
satisfied  me  that  there  was  no  other  method  by  which  I 
might  enter  the  vessel  than  the  chair,  active  as  I 
was. 

"  Hoist  away! "  was  shouted,  and  up  I  went,  and  I 
shall  not  readily  forget  the  sensation.  My  brains 
seemed  to  sink  into  my  boots  as  I  mounted.  I  was 
hoisted  needlessly  high — almost  to  the  yard-arm  itself, 
I  fancy — through  some  blunder  on  the  part  of  the 
men  who  manned  the  whip.  For  some  breathless 
moments  I  dangled  between  heaven  and  ocean,  seeing 
nothing  but  gray  sky  and  heaving  waters.  But  the 
torture  was  brief.  I  felt  the  chair  sinking,  saw  the 
open  gangway  sweep  past  me,  and  presently  I  was  out 
of  the  chair  at  Grace's  side,  stared  at  by  some  eighty 
or  a  hundred  emigrants,  all  'tween-decks  passengers, 
who  had  left  the  bulwarks  to  congregate  on  the  main- 
deck. 

"Will  you  step  this  way?"  exclaimed  a  voice  over- 
head. 

'On  looking  up,  I  found  that  we  were  addressed  by 


A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA.  103 

a  short,  somewhat  thick-set  man  who  stood  at  the  rail 
that  protected  the  forward  extremity  of  the  poop-deck. 
This  was  the  person  who  had  talked  to  us  through  the 
speaking-trumpet,  and  I  at  once  guessed  him  to  be 
the  captain.  There  were  about  a  dozen  first-class 
passengers  gazing  at  us  from  either  side  of  him,  two 
or  three  of  whom  were  ladies.  I  took  Grace  by  the 
hand  and  conducted  her  up  a  short  flight  of  steps  and 
approached  the  captain,  raising  my  hat  as  I  did  so, 
and  receiving  from  him  a  sea-flourish  of  the  tall  hat 
he  wore.  He  was  buttoned  up  in  a  cloth  coat,  and 
his  cheeks  rested  in  a  pair  of  high,  sharp-pointed  col- 
lars, starched  to  an  iron  hardness,  so  that  his  body 
and  head  moved  as  one  piece.  His  short  legs  arched 
outward,  and  his  feet  were  incased  in  long  boots,  the 
toes  of  which  were  of  the  shape  of  a  shovel.  He 
wore  the  familiar  tall  hat  of  the  streets;  it  looked  to 
be  brushed  the  wrong  way,  was  bronzed  at  the  rims, 
and  on  the  whole  showed  as  a  hat  that  had  made 
several  voyages.  Yet  if  there  was  but  little  of  the 
sailor  in  his  costume,  his  face  suggested  itself  to  me 
as  a  very  good  example  of  the  nautical  life.  His  nose 
was  little  more  than  a  pimple  of  a  reddish  tincture, 
and  his  small,  moist,  gray  eyes,  lying  deep  in  their 
sockets,  seemed  as  they  gazed  at  you  to  be  boring 
their  way  through  the  apertures  which  nature  had 
provided  for  the  admission  of  light.  A  short  piece 
of  white  whisker  decorated  either  cheek,  and  his  hair, 
that  was  cropped  close  as  a  soldier's,  was  also 
white. 

"  Is  that  your  yacht,  young  gentleman?  "  said  he, 


104  A    MARRIAGE    AT   SEA. 

bringing  his  eyes  from  Grace  to  me,  at  whom  he  had' 
to  stare  up  as  at  his  mast-head,  so  considerably  did  I 
tower  over  the  little  man. 

"Yes,"  said  I;  "she  is  the  Spitfire — belongs  to 
Southampton.  I  am  very  much  obliged  to  you  for 
receiving  this  lady  and  me." 

"Not  at  all,"  said  he,  looking  hard  at  Grace. 
"Your  wife,  sir?" 

"  No,"  said  I,  greatly  embarrassed  by  the  question 
and  by  the  gaze  of  the  ten  or  dozen  passengers  who 
hung  near,  eying  us  intently  and  whispering,  yet  for 
the  most  part  with  no  lack  of  sympathy  and  good- 
nature in  their  countenances.  I  saw  Grace  quickly 
bite  upon  her  under  lip,  but  without  coloring  or  any 
other  sign  of  confusion  than  a  slight  turn  of  her  head, 
as  though  she  viewed  the  yacht. 

"  But  what  have  you  done  with  the  rest  of  your 
people,  young  gentleman? "  inquired  the  captain. 

"My  name  is  Barclay — Mr.  Herbert  Barclay;  the 
name  of  the  young  lady,  to  whom  I  am  engaged  to 
be  married,"  said  I,  significantly,  sending  a  look 
along  the  faces  of  the  listeners,  "  is  Miss  Grace  Bellas- 
sys,  whose  aunt,  Lady  Amelia  Roscoe,  you  may  prob- 
ably have  heard  of." 

This  I  thought  was  introduction  enough.  My 
business  was  to  assert  our  dignity  first  of  all,  and 
then,  as  I  was  addressing  a  number  of  persons  who 
were  either  English  or  colonial,  or  both,  the  pronunci- 
ation of  her  ladyship's  name  was,  I  considered,  a  very 
early  and  essential  duty. 

"  With  regard  to  my  crew — "  I  continued,  and  I 


A   MARRIAGE    AT   SEA.  105 

told  the  captain  they  had  made  up  their  minds  to 
carry  the  vessel  home. 

"  Miss  Bellassys  looks  very  tired,"  exclaimed  a 
middle-aged  lady,  with  gray  hair,  speaking  with  a 
gentle,  concerned  smile,  engaging  with  its  air  of  sym- 
pathetic apology.  "  If  she  will  allow  me  to  conduct 
her  to  my  cabin — " 

"By  all  means,  Mrs.  Barstow,"  cried  the  captain. 
"  If  she  has  been  knocking  about  in  that  bit  of  a  craft 
there  throughout  the  gale  that's  been  blowing,  all  I 
can  say  is  she'll  have  seen  more  tumbling  and  weather 
in  forty-eight  hours  than  you'll  have  any  idea  of 
though  I  was  to  keep  you  at  sea  for  ten  years  in  this 
ship." 

Mrs.  Barstow  with  a  motherly  manner  approached 
Grace,  who  bowed  and  thanked  her,  and  together 
they  walked  to  the  companion-hatch  and  disap- 
peared. 

The  captain  asked  me  many  questions,  many  of 
which  I  answered  mechanically,  for  my  thoughts  were 
fixed  upon  the  little  yacht,  and  my  heart  was  with  the 
poor  fellows  who  had  resolved  to  carry  her  home — 
but  with  them  only,  not  with  her.  No!  as  I  watched 
her  rolling,  and  the  fellow  pumping,  not  for  worlds 
would  I  have  gone  aboard  of  her  again  with  Grace, 
though  Caudel  should  have  yelled  out  that  the  leak 
was  stopped,  and  though  a  fair,  bright,  breezy  day, 
with  promise  of  quiet  lasting  for  a  week,  should  have 
opened  round  about  us. 

The  captain  wanted  to  know  when  I  had  sailed, 
from  what  port  I  had  started,  where  I  was  bound  to, 


106  A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA. 

and  the  like.  I  kept  my  gravity  with  difficulty  when 
I  gave  him  my  attention  at  last.  It  was  not  only 
his  own  mirth-provoking  nautical  countenance;  the 
saloon  passengers  could  not  take  their  eyes  off  my 
face,  and  they  bobbed  and  leaned  forward  in  an 
eager,  hearkening  way  to  catch  every  syllable  of  my 
replies.  Nor  was  this  all;  for  below  on  the  quarter- 
deck and  along  the  waist  stood  scores  of  steerage 
passengers,  all  straining  their  eyes  at  me.  The  curi- 
osity and  excitement  were  ridiculous.  But  fame  is  a 
thing  very  cheaply  earned  in  these  days. 

The  captain  inquired  a  little  too  curiously  some- 
times. So  Miss  Bellassys  was  engaged  to  be  married 
to  me,  hey?  Was  she  alone  with  me?  No  relative, 
no  maid,  nobody  of  her  own  sex  in  attendance,  hey? 
To  these  questions  the  ladies  listened  with  an  odd 
expression  in  their  faces.  I  particularly  noticed  one 
of  them;  she  had  sausage-shaped  curls,  lips  so  thin  that 
when  they  were  closed  they  formed  a  fine  line,  as 
though  produced  by  the  single  sweep  of  a  camel's, 
hair  brush  under  her  nose;  one  pupil  was  consider- 
ably larger  than  the  other,  which  gave  her  a  very 
staring,  knowing  look  on  one  side  of  her  face;  but 
there  was  nothing  in  my  responses  to  appease  her's  or 
the  captain's  or  the  others'  thirst  for  information. 

"  There  can  be  no  doubt,  I  hope,  Captain  Parsons," 
said  I,  for  the  second  mate  had  given  me  the  skipper's 
name,  "of  our  promptly  falling  in  with  something 
homeward  bound  that  will  land  Miss  Bellassys  and 
me?  What  the  craft  may  prove  will  signify  nothing;  a 
smack  would  serve  our  purpose." 


A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA.  107 

"  I'll  signal  when  I  have  a  chance,"  he  answered, 
looking  round  the  sea  and  then  up  aloft;  "but  it's 
astonishing,  ladies  and  gentlemen,"  he  continued, 
addressing  the  passengers;  "  how  lonesome  the  ocean 
is,  even  where  you  look  for  plenty  of  shipping." 

"How  far  are  we  from  Penzance,  captain?"  I  in- 
quired. 

"Why,"  he  answered,  "all  of  a  hundred  and  fifty 
miles." 

"  If  that  be  so,  then,"  I  cried,  "our  drift  must  have 
been  that  of  a  balloon." 

"  Will  those  poor  creatures  ever  be  able  to  reach 
the  English  coast  in  that  broken  boat? "  exclaimed  one 
of  the  ladies,  indicating  the  Spitfire,  that  now  lay 
dwarfed  right  over  the  stern  of  the  ship. 

"  If  they  are  'longshoremen — and  yet  I  don't  know," 
replied  the  captain,  with  a  short  laugh;  "a  boatman  will 
easily  handle  a  craft  of  that  sort  when  a  blue-water 
sailor  would  be  all  abroad.  Have  you  lunched,  Mr. 
Barclay  ? " 

"No,  captain,  I  have  not;  neither  can  I  say  I  have 
breakfasted." 

"  Oh,  confound  it,  man,  you  should  have  said  so 
before.  Step  this  way,  sir,  step  this  way."  And  he 
led  me  to  the  companion-hatch  that  conducted  to  the 
saloon,  pausing  on  the  road,  however,  to  beckon  with 
a  square  forefinger  to  a  sober,  Scotch-faced  personage 
in  a  monkey-jacket  and  loose  pilot-trousers — the 
chief  mate,  as  I  afterward  learned — to  whom,  in  a 
wheezy  under-tone,  he  addressed  some  instructions 
which,  I  gathered  from  one  or  two  syllables  I  over- 


, 

108  A    MARRIAGE   AT    SEA. 

heard,  referred  to  the  speaking  of  inward-bound  ves- 
sels and  to  our  trans-shipment. 

At  this  moment  a  door  close  beside  which  I  was 
standing  opened,  and  Grace  came  out,  followed  by  the 
kind  lady,  Mrs.  Barstow.  She  had  removed  her  hat 
and  jacket,  and  was  sweet  and  fresh  with  the  applica- 
tion of  such  toilet  conveniences  as  her  sympathetic 
acquaintance  could  provide  her  with.  Captain  Parsons 
stared  at  her  and  then  whipped  off  his  tall  hat. 

"  This  is  better  than  the  Spitfire,  Grace/'  said  I. 

"  Oh,  yes,  Herbert,"  she  answered,  sending  a  glance 
of  her  fine  dark  eyes  over  the  saloon;  "  but  Mrs.  Bar- 
stow  tells  me  that  the  ship  is  going  to  New  Zealand." 

"So  she  is;  so  she  is,"  cried  Captain  Parsons, 
bursting  into  a  laugh;  "  and,  if  you  choose,  Mr.  Barclay 
and  you  shall  accompany  us." 

She  looked  at  him  with  a  frightened,  girlish  air. 

"Oh,  no,  Miss  Bellassys,"  said  Mrs.  Barstow. 
"  Captain  Parsons  is  a  great  humorist.  I  have  made 
two  voyages  with  him,  and  he  keeps  me  laughing  from 
port  to  port.  He  will  see  that  you  get  safely  home; 
and  I  wish  that  we  could  count  upon  arriving  at  Otaga 
as  speedily  as  you  will  reach  England." 

Just  then  a  man  in  a  camlet  jacket  entered  the  sa- 
loon— cuddy,  I  believe,  is  the  proper  word  for  it.  He 
was  the  head  steward,  and  Captain  Parsons  immedi- 
ately called  to  him: 

"  Jenkins,  here.  This  lady  and  gentleman  have  not 
breakfasted;  they  have  been  shipwrecked,  and  wish  to 
lunch.  You  understand  ?  And  draw  the  cork  of  a  quart 
bottle  of  champagne.  There  is  no  better  sea-physic, 


A    MARRfl^BFAT    SEA.  109 

Miss  Bellassys.  I've  known  what  it  is  to  be  five  days  in 
an  open  boat  in  the  middle  of  the  Indian  Ocean,  and  I 
believe  if  even  Mrs.  Barstow  had  been  my  wife  I  should 
not  have  scrupled  to  make  away  with  her  for  a  quart 
bottle  of  champagne." 

Our  lunch  consisted  of  cold  fowl  and  ham  and 
champagne — good  enough  meat  and  drink,  one  should 
say,  for  the  sea,  and  almost  good  enough,  one  might 
add,  for  a  pair  of  lovesick  fugitives. 

"  How  is  your  appetite,  my  darling?"  said  I. 

"  I  think  I  can  eat  a  little  of  that  cold  chicken." 

"  This  is  very  handsome  treatment,  Grace.  Upon 
my  word,  if  the  captain  preserves  this  sort  of  behavior, 
I  do  not  believe  we  shall  be  in  a  very  great  hurry  to 
quit  his  ship." 

"Is  not  she  a  noble  vessel?"  exclaimed  Grace, 
rolling  her  eyes  over  the  saloon.  "After  the  poor 
little  Spitfire's  cabin!  And  how  different  is  this  mo- 
tion! It  soothes  me,  after  the  horrid  tumbling  of  the 
last  two  days." 

"  This  is  a  very  extraordinary  adventure,"  said  I, 
eating  and  drinking  with  a  relish  and  an  appetite  not 
a  little  heightened  by  observing  that  Grace  was 
making  a  very  good  meal.  "  It  may  not  end  so  soon 
as  we  hope,  either.  First  of  all  we  have  to  fall  in  with 
a  homeward-bound  ship,  then  she  has  to  receive  us, 
then  she  has  to  arrive  in  the  Channel  and  transfer  us 
to  a  tug,  or  a  smack,  or  anything  else  which  may  be 
willing  to  put  us  ashore;  and  there  is  always  the  chance 
of  her  not  falling  in  with  such  a  craft  as  we  want  until 
she  is  as  high  as  the  Forelands — past  Boulogne,  in 


110  A    MARsj  AT    SEA. 

short.  But  no  matter,  my  own.  We  are  together, 
and  that  is  everything." 

She  took  a  sip  of  the  champagne  that  the  steward 
had  filled  her  glass  with,  and  said,  in  a  musing  voice, 
"What  will  the  people  in  this  ship  think  of  me?" 

"  What  they  may  think  need  not  trouble  us,"  said 
I.  "  I  told  Captain  Parsons  that  we  were  engaged  to 
be  married.  Is  there  anything  very  extraordinary  in 
a  young  fellow  taking  the  girl  he  is  engaged  to  out  for 
a  sail  in  his  yacht,  and  being  blown  away  and  nearly 
wrecked  by  a  heavy  gale  of  wind?" 

"  Oh,  but  they  will  know  better,"  she  exclaimed, 
with  a  pout. 

"  Well,  I  forgot,  it  is  true,  that  I  told  the  captain 
we  sailed  from  Boulogne.  But  how  is  he  to  know 
your  people  don't  live  there?" 

"It  will  soon  be  whispered  about  that  I  have 
eloped  with  you,  Herbert,"  she  exclaimed. 

"  Who's  to  know  the  truth  if  it  isn't  divulged,  my 
pet?"  said  I. 

"  But  it  is  divulged,"  she  answered. 

I  stared  at  her.  She  eyed  me  wistfully  as  she 
continued,  "  I  told  Mrs.  Barstow  the  story.  I  am  not 
ashamed  of  my  conduct,  and  I  ought  not  to  feel 
ashamed  of  the  truth  being  known." 

There  was  logic  and  heroism  in  this  closing  sen- 
tence, though  it  did  not  strictly  correspond  with  the 
expression  she  had  just  now  let  fall  as  to  what  the 
people  would  think.  I  surveyed  her  silently,  and  after 
a  little,  exclaimed: 

"  You  are  in  the  right.     Let  the  truth  be  known. 


A  MARR™  P^T  SEA.  Ill 

I  shal]  give  the  skipper  the  whole  yarn,  that  there 
may  be  no  misunderstanding;  for,  after  all,  we  may 
have  to  stick  to  this  ship  for  some  days,  and  it  would 
be  very  unpleasant  to  find  ourselves  misjudged." 


VII. 


I  gazed,  as  I  spoke,  through  the  windows  of  the 
saloon  or  cuddy-front  which  overlooked  the  main- 
deck,  where  a  number  of  steerage  passengers  were 
standing  in  groups;  the  ship  was  before  the  wind;  the 
great  main-course  was  hauled  up  to  its  yard,  and  I 
could  see  to  as  far  as  the  forecastle,  where  a  fragment 
of  bowsprit  showed  under  the  white  arch  of  the  fore- 
sail; some  sailors  in  colored  apparel  were  hauling  upon 
a  rope  hard  by  the  foremast;  a  gleam  of  misty  sun- 
shine was  pouring  full  upon  this  window-framed  pic- 
ture, and  crowded  it  with  rich  oceanic  tints,  softened 
by  the  rule-like  swaying  shadows  of  the  rigging.  An 
extraordinary  thought  flashed  into  my  head. 

"  By  Jove,  Grace,  I  wonder  if  there's  a  parson  on 
board! " 

"  Why  do  you  wonder  ?  " 

"  If  there  is  a  parson  on  board  he  might  be  able  to 
marry  us." 

She  colored,  smiled,  and  looked  grave  all  in  a 
breath. 

"A  ship  is  not  a  church,"  said  she,  almost  de- 
murely. 

"  No,"  I  answered;  "but  a  parson's  a  parson  wher- 
ever he  is;  he  carries  with  him  the  same  appetite,  the 
same  dress,  the  same  powers,  no  matter  whither  his 
steps  conduct  him." 

She  shook  her  head,  smiling,  but  her  blush  had 


A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA.  113 

faded,  nor  could  her  smile  conceal  a  little  look  of  alarm 
in  her  eyes. 

"  My  darling,"  said  I,  "surely  if  there  should  be  a 
clergyman  on  board,  you  will  not  object  to  his  marry- 
ing us?  It  would  end  all  our  troubles,  anxieties,  mis- 
givings— thrust  Lady  Amelia  out  of  the  question  alto- 
gether, save  us  from  a  tedious  spell  of  waiting  ashore 

H 

"But  the  objections  which  would  hold  good  on 
shore  would  hold  good  here,"  said  she,  with  her  face 
averted. 

"  No,  I  can't  see  it,"  said  I,  talking  so  noisily  out  of 
the  enthusiasm  the  notion  had  raised  in  me  that 
she  looked  round  to  say  "  Hush  !  "  and  then  turned 
her  head  again.  "There  must  be  a  difference,"  said  I, 
sobering  my  voice,  "  between  the  marriage  ceremony 
as  performed  on  sea  and  on  shore.  The  burial  service 
is  different,  and  you  will  find  the  other  is  so,  too.  There 
is  too  much  horizon  at  sea,  too  much  distance,  to  talk 
of  consent.  Guardians  and  parents  are  too  far  off.  As 
to  bans,  who's  going  to  say  '  no  '  on  board  a  vessel  ?  " 

"  I  can  not  imagine  that  it  would  be  a  proper  wed- 
ding," said  she,  shaking  her  head. 

"  Do  you  mean  in  the  sense  of  its  being  valid,  my 
sweet? " 

"Yes,"  she  whispered. 

"  But  don't  you  see  that  a  parson's  a  parson  every- 
where? Whom  God  hath  joined — " 

The  steward  entered  the  saloon  at  that  moment.  I 
called  to  him,  and  said,  politely: 

"  Have  you  many  passengers,  steward  ? " 
9 


114  A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA. 

"  Ay,  sir,  too  many,"  he  answered.  "  The  steerage 
is  pretty  nigh  chock  ablock." 

"  Saloon  passengers,  I  mean?  " 

"  Every  berth's  hoccupied,  sir." 

"What  sort  of  people  are  they,  do  you  know?  Any 
swells  among  them? " 

"  That  depends  how  they're  viewed,"  he  answered, 
with  a  cautious  look  round  and  a  slow  smile.  "  If  by 
themselves,  they're  all  swells;  if  by  others — why — " 

"  I  thought  perhaps  you  might  have  something  in 
the  colonial  bishopric  way." 

"No,  sir,  there's nothin*  in  that  way  aboard.  Plenty 
as  needs  it,  I  dessay.  The  language  of  some  of  them 
steerage  chaps  is  something  to  turn  the  black  hairs  of 
a  monkey  white.  Talk  of  the  vulgarity  of  sailors!  " 

The  glances  of  this  steward  were  dry  and  shrewd, 
and  his  smile  slow  and  knowing;  I  chose,  therefore,  to 
ask  him  no  more  questions.  But  then,  substantially,  he 
had  told  me  what  I  wanted  to  gather,  and  secretly  I 
felt  as  much  mortified  and  disappointed  as  though 
for  days  past  I  had  been  thinking  of  nothing  else  than 
finding  a  parson  on  board  ship  at  sea  and  being  mar- 
ried to  Grace  by  him. 

A  little  later  on  Mrs.  Barstow  came  into  the  saloon 
and  asked  Grace  to  accompany  her  on  deck.  My 
sweetheart  put  on  her  hat  and  jacket,  and  the  three 
of  us  went  on  to  the  poop. 

"A  voyage  in  such  a  ship  as  this,  Mrs.  Barstow," 
said  I,  "  should  make  the  most  delightful  trip  of  a 
person's  life." 

"It  is  better  than  yachting,"  said  Grace,  softly. 


A   MARRIAGE   AT   SEA.  115 

"A  voyage  soon  grows  tedious,"  remarked  Mrs. 
Barstow.  "  Miss  Bellassys,  I  trust  you  will  share  my 
cabin  while  you  remain  with  us." 

"  You  are  exceedingly  kind,"  said  Grace. 

Others  of  the  passengers  now  approached,  and  I 
observed  a  general  effort  of  kindness  and  politeness. 
The  ladies  gathered  about  Grace,  and  the  gentlemen 
about  me,  and  the  time  slipped  by  while  I  related  my 
adventures  and  listened  to  their  experiences  of  the 
weather  in  the  Channel  and  such  matters.  It  was 
strange,  however,  to  feel  that  every  hour  that  passed 
was  widening  our  distance  from  home.  I  never  for 
an  instant  regretted  my  determination  to  quit  the 
yacht.  Yet  at  this  early  time  of  our  being  aboard  the 
Carthusian,  I  was  disquieted  by  a  sense  of  mild  dismay 
when  I  ran  my  eye  over  the  ship  and  marked  her 
sliding  and  courtesying  steadily  forward  to  the  impulse 
of  her  wide  and  gleaming  pinions,  and  reflected  that 
this  sort  of  thing  might  go  on  for  days  and  perhaps 
for  weeks — that  we  might  arrive  at  the  equator,  per- 
haps at  the  latitude  of  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  without 
meeting  with  a  vessel  to  serve  our  turn! 

Well,  in  talking,  and  in  thinking,  and  in  looking, 
that  first  afternoon  passed,  and  at  half-past  five  o'clock 
we  went  to  dinner.  I  had  had  a  short  chat  with  Cap- 
tain Parsons,  and  from  him  had  learned  that  there 
was  no  parson  oh  board,  though  I  flattered  myself 
that  I  had  put  the  question  in  such  a  way  as  not  to 
excite  in  his  brine-seasoned  mind  the  faintest  sus- 
picion of  the  meaning  of  my  curiosity.  I  had  also 
given  him  to  understand  that  I  was  a  young  gentle- 


116  A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA. 

I 

man  of  substance,  and  begged  him  to  believe  that 
any  cost  Grace  and  I  might  put  the  ship  to  should 
be  repaid  with  interest  to  her  owners. 

It  was  impossible  for  me  to  find  myself  seated  with 
Grace  at  my  side  at  that  cheerful,  hospitable,  sparkling, 
sea  dinner-table  without  acutely  realizing  the  differ- 
ence betwixt  this  time  and  yesterday.  Some  ten  or 
twelve  persons  sat  down,  but  there  was  room  for 
another  half-dozen,  which  I  believe  about  completed 
the  number  of  saloon  passengers  the  Carthusian 
carried.  Captain  Parsons,  with  a  countenance  var- 
nished as  from  the  recent  employment  of  soap,  was 
at  the  head  of  the  table,  with  Mrs.  Barstow  on  his 
right,  and  I  observed  that  they  frequently  conversed 
while  they  often  directed  their  eyes  at  Grace  and  me. 

The  chief  officer,  the  Scotch-faced  man  I  have 
before  written  of,  sat  at  the  foot  of  the  table,  slowly 
and  soberly  eating. 

"  It  would  be  strange,  sir,"  said  I,  addressing  him, 
"  if  we  do  not  hereabouts  speedily  fall  in  with  some- 
thing homeward  bound." 

"  It  would,  sir,"  he  answered,  with  a  broad  Scotch 
accent. 

"  Yet  not  so  strange,  Mr.  McCosh,"  said  a  passen- 
ger sitting  opposite  to  me,  "  if  you  come  to  consider 
how  wide  the  sea  is  here." 

"Well,  perhaps  not  so  strange  either,"  said  Mr. 
McCosh,  in  his  sawdusty  voice,  speaking  with  his 
mouth  full. 

"  Should  you  pass  a  steamer  at  night,"  said  I, 
"  would  you  stop  and  hail  her? " 


A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA.  117 

He  reflected,  and  said  he  thought  not. 

"  Then  our  opportunities  for  getting  home  must 
be  limited  to  daylight,"  said  I. 

This  seemed  too  obvious  to  him,  I  suppose,  to 
need  a  response. 

"  Are  you  in  a  very  great  hurry,  Mr.  Barclay,  to 
get  home?"  exclaimed  a  passenger  with  a  slight  cast  ip 
his  eye  that  gave  a  turn  of  humor  to  his  face. 

"Why,  yes,"  I  answered,  with  a  glance  at  Grace, 
who  was  eating  quietly  at  my  side,  seldom  looking  up, 
though  she  was  as  much  stared  at  even  after  all  these 
hours  as  decent  manners  would  permit.  "You  will 
please  remember  that  we  are  without  luggage." 

"  Eh,  but  that  is  to  be  managed,  I  think.  There 
are  many  of  us  here  of  both  sexes,"  continued  the 
gentleman  with  the  cast  in  his  eye,  sending  a  squint 
along  the  row  of  people  on  either  side  of  the  table. 
"  You  should  see  New  Zealand,  sir.  The  country 
abounds  with  fine  and  noble  prospects,  and  I  do  not 
think,"  he  added,  with  a  smile,  "  that  you  will  find 
occasion  to  complain  of  a  want  of  hospitality." 

"  I  am  greatly  obliged,"  said  I,  giving  him  a  bow; 
"but  New  Zealand  is  a  little  distant  for  the  moment." 

The  subject  of  New  Zealand  was  now,  however, 
started,  and  the  conversation  on  its  harbors,  revenue, 
political  parties,  debts,  prospects,  and  the  like  was 
exceedingly  animated,  and  lasted  pretty  nearly  through 
the  dinner.  Though  Grace  and  I  were  seated  at  the 
foremost  end  of  the  table,  removed  nearly  by  the 
whole  length  of  it  from  the  captain,  I  was  sensible 
that  his  talk  to  those  near  him  mainly  concerned  us. 


118  A   MARRIAGE    AT   SEA. 

He  had,  as  I  have  said,  Mrs.  Barstow  on  one  hand» 
and  on  the  other  sat  the  lady  with  the  thin  lips 
and  sausage  curls.  I  would  notice  him  turn  first 
to  one,  then  to  the  other,  his  round,  sea-colored  face 
broadened  by  an  arch,  knowing  smile;  then  Mrs. 
Barstow  would  look  at  us;  then  the  lady  with  the  thin 
lips  would  stretch  her  neck  to  take  a  peep  down  the 
line  in  which  we  sat;  others  would  also  look,  smirk  a 
bit,  and  address  themselves  with  amused  faces  in  a 
low  voice  to  Captain  Parsons. 

All  this  was  not  so  marked  as  to  be  offensive,  or 
even  embarrassing,  but  it  was  a  very  noticeable  thing, 
and  I  whispered  to  Grace  that  we  seemed  to  form  the 
sole  theme  of  conversation  at  the  captain's  end. 

When  dinner  was  over  we  went  on  deck.  Mrs. 
Barstow  and  the  thin-lipped  lady  carried  off  Grace  for 
a  stroll  up  and  down  the  planks,  and  I  joined  a  few 
of  the  gentlemen  passengers  on  the  quarter-deck  to 
smoke  a  cigar  one  of  them  gave  me.  There  was  a 
fine  breeze  out  of  the  east,  and  the  ship,  with  yards 
nearly  square,  was  sliding  and  rolling  statelily  along 
her  course  at  some  six  or  seven  miles  in  the  hour. 
The  west  was  flushed  with  red,  but  a  few  stars  were 
trembling  in  the  airy  dimness  of  the  evening  blue  over 
the  stern;  and  in  the  south  was  the  young  moon,  a 
pale  curl,  but  gathering  from  the  clearness  of  the 
atmosphere  a  promise  of  radiance  enough  later  on  to 
touch  the  sea  with  silver  under  it  and  fling  a  gleam  of 
her  own  upon  our  soaring  sails. 

I  had  almost  finished  my  cigar — two  bells,  seven 
o'clock,  had  not  long  been  struck — when  one  of  the 


A   MARRIAGE    AT   SEA.  119 

stewards  came  out  of  the  saloon,  and  approaching  me, 
said: 

"  Captain  Parsons'  compliments,  sir,  and  he'll  be 
glad  to  see  you  in  his  cabin  if  you  can  spare  him  a 
few  minutes." 

"With  pleasure,"  I  answered,  flinging  the  end  of 
my  cigar  overboard,  instantly  concluding  that  he 
wished  to  see  me  privately  to  arrange  about  terms  and 
accommodation  while  Grace  and  I  remained  with 
him. 

I  followed  the  man  into  the  saloon,  and  was  led 
right  aft,  where  stood  two  large  cabins.  On  entering 
I  found  Captain  Parsons  sitting  at  a  table  covered 
with  nautical  instruments,  books,  writing  materials, 
and  so  forth.  A  lighted  bracket-lamp  near  the  door 
illuminated  the  interior,  and  gave  me  a  good  view  of 
the  hearty  little  fellow  and  his  sea-furniture  of  cot, 
lockers,  chest  of  drawers,  and  wearing  apparel  that 
slid  to  and  fro  upon  the  bulkhead  as  it  dangled  from 
pegs.  His  air  was  grave,  and  his  countenance  as  full 
of  importance  as,  with  such  features  as  his,  it  was 
capable  of  being.  Having  asked  me  to  take  a  seat, 
he  surveyed  me  thoughtfully  for  some  moments  in 
silence. 

"  Young  gentleman,"  said  he,  at  last,  "before  we 
man  the  windlass  I  have  to  beg  you'll  not  take  amiss 
any  questions  I  may  put.  Whatever  I  ask  won't  be 
out  of  curiosity.  I  believe  I  can  see  my  way  to  doing 
you  and  your  pretty  young  lady  a  very  considerable 
service;  but  I  shall  first  want  all  the  truth  you  may 
think  proper  to  give  me." 


120  A   MARRIAGE   AT  SEA. 

I  heard  him  with  some  astonishment.  What  could 
he  mean?  What  service  had  he  in  contemplation  to 
render  me? 

"The  truth  of  what,  Captain  Parsons?"  said  I. 

"Well,  now,  your  relations  with  Miss  Bellassys; 
it's  an  elopement,  I  believe?  " 

"  That  is  so,"  I  answered,  hardly  knowing  whether 
to  laugh  or  to  feel  vexed. 

"Though  the  young  lady,"  he  continued,  "is  not 
one  of  my  passengers  in  the  sense  that  the  rest  of  'em 
are,  she  is  aboard  my  ship,  and  as  though  by  the 
Divine  ordering  committed  to  my  care,  as  are  you 
and  every  man  jack  of  the  two  hundred  and  four  souls 
who  are  sailing  with  me.  Of  course  you  know  that 
we  ship-masters  have  very  great  powers." 

I  merely  inclined  my  head,  wondering  what  he  was 
driving  at. 

"A  ship-master,"  he  proceeded,  "is  lord  para- 
mount, quite  the  cock  of  his  own  walk,  and  nothing 
must  crow  where  he  is.  He  is  responsible  for  the 
safety  and  comfort,  for  the  well-being — moral,  spirit- 
ual, and  physical — of  every  creature  aboard  his  ship, 
no  matter  what  the  circumstances  under  which  that 
creature  came  aboard,  whether  by  paying  cabin- 
money,  by  shipwreck,  or  by  signing  articles.  Miss 
Bellassys  has  come  into  my  hands,  and  it's  my  duty, 
as  master  of  this  ship,  to  see  that  she's  done  right  by." 

The  conflict  of  twenty  emotions  rendered  me  quite 
incapable  to  do  anything  more  than  to  stare  at  him. 

"  Now,  Mr.  Barclay,"  he  continued,  crossing  his 
bow  legs,  and  wagging  a  little  stunted  forefinger  in  a 


A  MARRIAGE   AT   SEA.  121 

kindly,  admonishing  way,  "  don't  be  affronted  by  this 
preface,  and  don't  be  affronted  by  what  I'm  going  to 
ask;  for  if  all  be  plain  sailing  I  shall  be  able  to  do 
you  and  the  young  lady  a  real  A i,  copper-fastened' 
service." 

"Pray  ask  any  questions  you  wish,captain,"said  I. 

"  This  is  an  elopement,  you  say?" 

"  It  is." 

"  Where  from? " 

"  Boulogne-sur-Mer." 

"  Bullong-sewer-Mare,"  he  repeated.  "  Was  the 
young  lady  at  school? " 

"She  was." 

"What  might  be  her  age  now? " 

"  She  will  be  eighteen  next  so-and-so,"  said  I,  giv- 
ing him  the  month. 

He  suddenly  jumped  up,  and  I  could  not  imagine 
what  he  meant  to  do,  till,  pulling  open  a  drawer,  he 
took  out  a  large  box  of  cigars,  which  he  placed  upon 
the  table. 

"  Pray  light  up,  Mr.  Barclay,"  said  he,  looking  to 
see  if  the  window  of  his  port-hole  was  open.  "  They 
are  genuine  Havana  cigars."  He  lighted  one  himself, 
and  proceeded.  "  What  necessity  was  there  for  this 
elopement? " 

"  Miss  Bellassys  is  an  orphan,"  I  answered,  still  so 
much  astonished  that  I  found  myself  almost  mechan- 
ically answering  him,  as  though  I  were  in  a  witness- 
box  and  he  were  Mr.  Justice  Parsons  in  a  wig,  instead 
of  an  old,  bow-legged,  pimple-nosed  merchant  skip- 
per. "  Her  father  was  Colonel  Bellassys,  who  died 


122  A    MARRIAGE   AT   SEA. 

some  years  ago  in  India.  On  her  mother's  death  she 
was  taken  charge  of  by  her  aunt,  Lady  Amelia  Ros- 
coe.  Lady  Amelia's  husband  was  a  gentleman  named 
Withycombe  Roscoe,  whose  estate  in  Kent  adjoined 
my  father's,  Sir  Herbert  Barclay,  the  engineer." 

"  D'ye  mean  the  gentleman  who  built  the  L 

Docks? " 

"Yes." 

"Oh,  indeed!"  cried  he,  looking  somewhat  im- 
pressed. "  And  how  is  your  father,  Mr.  Barclay?  " 

"  He  died  about  two  years  and  a  half  ago,"  I  re> 
plied.  "  But  you  have  asked  me  for  the  truth  of  this 
elopement,  Captain  Parsons.  There  were  constant 
quarrels  between  my  father  and  Mr.  Withycombe  Ros- 
coe over  a  hedge,  or  wall,  or  ditch — some  matter  con- 
temptibly insignificant;  but  if  the  value  of  the  few 
rods  or  perches  of  ground  had  been  represented  by  the 
national  debt  there  could  not  have  been  hotter  blood, 
more  ill-feeling  between  them.  Litigation  was  inces- 
sant, and  I  am  sorry  to  say  it  still  continues,  though  I 
should  be  glad  to  end  it." 

"  Sort  of  entail  lawsuit,  I  suppose?  "  said  the  cap- 
tain, smoking  with  enjoyment  and  listening  with  inter- 
est and  respect. 

"  Just  so,"  said  I,  finding  now  a  degree  of  happi- 
ness in  this  candor;  it  was  a  kind  of  easing  of  my  con- 
science to  tell  this  man  my  story — absolute  stranger  as 
he  had  been  to  me  but  a  few  hours  before.  "  Mr.  Ros- 
coe died,  and  Lady  Amelia  took  a  house  in  London. 
I  met  her  niece  at  the  house  of  a  friend,  and  fell  in 
love  with  her." 


A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA.  123 

"  So  I  should  think,"  exclaimed  Captain  Parsons. 
"  Never  saw  a  sweeter  young  lady  in  all  my  time." 

"  Well,  to  cut  this  part  of  the  story,  when  her  lady- 
ship learned  that  her  niece  was  in  love,  and  discovered 
who  her  sweetheart  was — this  occupied  a  few  months, 
I  may  tell  you — she  packed  the  girl  off  to  Boulogne, 
to  a  Mademoiselle  Championnet,  who  keeps  a  sort 
of  school  at  that  place;  though  Grace  was  sent 
there  professedly  to  learn  French.  The  mademoiselle 
is  some  sort  of  poor  connection  of  Lady  Amelia's,  a 
bigoted  Catholic,  as  her  ladyship  is,  and  it  soon 
grew  clear  to  my  mind  from  letters  I  received  from 
Miss  Bellassys,  dispatched  in  the  old  romantic  fash- 
ion— " 

"  What  fashion's  that? "  called  out  the  captain. 

"  The  bribed  house-maid,  sir — it  soon  grew  clear  to 
my  mind,  I  say,  that  Lady  Amelia's  main  object  in 
sending  the  girl  to  Mademoiselle  Championnet  was  to 
get  her  converted." 

«  A  d d  shame  !  "  cried  Captain  Parsons. 

"  Do  you  need  to  hear  more?"  said  I,  smiling.  "  I 
love  the  girl,  and  she  loves  me;  she  was  an  orphan,  and 
I  did  not  consider  the  aunt  a  right  and  proper  guard- 
ian for  her;  she  consented  to  elope,  and  we  did  elope, 
and  here  we  are,  captain." 

"  And  you  were  bound  to  Penzance,  I  understand?" 

"  Yes/' 

"  Why  Penzance?" 

"To  get  married  at  a  church  in  that  district." 

"  Who  was  going  to  marry  ye?" 

"  A  cousin  of  mine,  the  Reverend  Frank  Howe — of 


124  A    MARRIAGE   AT   SEA. 

course,  after  we  had  fulfilled  the  confounded  legal  con- 
ditions which  obstruct  young  people  like  ourselves  in 
England." 

"  And  what  are  the  legal  conditions?  It's  so  long 
since  I  was  married  that  I  forget  'em,"  said  the  captain. 

"  Residence,  as  it  is  called;  then  the  consent  of  her 
ladyship,  as  Miss  Bellassys  is  under  age." 

"  But  she  isn't  going  to  consent,  is  she? " 

"  How  can  she  refuse,  after  our  association  in  the 
yacht,  and  here?  " 

It  took  him  some  time  to  understand;  he  then  shut 
one  eye  and  said,  "  I  see." 

We  pulled  at  our  cigars  in  silence  as  we  gazed  at 
each  other.  The  evening  had  blackened  into  night; 
a  silver  star  or  two  slid  in  the  open  port,  through 
which  came  the  washing  noise  of  the  water  as  it  swept 
eddying  and  seething  past  the  bends  into  the  wake  of 
the  ship;  now  and  again  the  rudder  jarred  harshly,  and 
there  was  a  monotonous  tread  of  feet  overhead.  We 
were  at  the  extreme  after  end  of  the  vessel,  where  the 
heave  of  her  would-be  most  sensibly  felt,  and  she  was 
still  courtesying  with  some  briskness,  but  I  scarcely 
heeded  the  motion,  so  effectually  had  the  mad  be- 
havior of  the  Spitfire  cured  me  of  all  tendency  to 
nausea. 

"  And  now,  Mr.  Barclay,"  exclaimed  the  captain, 
after  a  silence  of  a  minute  or  two,  "  I'll  explain  why  I 
have  made  so  free  as  to  ask  you  for  your  story.  It's 
the  opinion  of  Mrs.  Barstow  and  Miss  Moggadore 
that  Miss  Bellassys  and  you  ought  to  be  married  right 
away  off.  It's  a  duty  that's  owing  to  the  young  lady. 


A   MARRIAGE    AT   SEA.  125 

You  can  see  it  for  yourself,  sir.  Her  situation,  young 
gentleman,"  he  added,  with  emphasis,  "  is  not  what  it 
ought  to  be." 

"  I  agree  in  every  word,"  I  exclaimed;  "but — " 

He  interrupted  me:  "  Her  dignity  is  yours,  her 
reputation  is  yours.  And  the  sooner  you're  married 
the  better." 

I  was  about  to  speak,  but  despite  my  pronouncing 
several  words,  he  proceeded  obstinately: 

"  Mrs.  Barstow  is  one  of  the  best-natured  women 
in  the  world.  There  never  was  a  more  practical  lady; 
sees  a  thing  in  a  minute;  and  you  may  believe  in  her 
advice  as  you  would  in  the  fathom-marks  on  a  lead- 
line. Miss  Moggadore,  the  young  lady  that  sat  on 
my  left  at  table — did  you  notice  her,  Mr.  Barclay?" 

"A  middle-aged  lady,  with  curls?" 

"  Eight-and-thirty.  Ain't  that  young  enough?  Ay, 
Miss  Moggadore  has  two  curls;  and  let  me  tell  you 
that  her  nose  heads  the  right  way.  Miss  Moggadore 
wasn't  behind  the  door  when  brains  were  served  out. 
Well,  she  and  Mrs.  Barstow,  and  your  humble 
servant" — he  convulsed  his  short,  square  figure  into  a 
sea-bow,  "are  for  having  you  and  Miss  Bellassys 
married  straight  away  off." 

"  So  there  is  a  clergyman  on  board? "  I  cried,  feel- 
ing the  blood  in  my  face,  and  staring  eagerly  at 
him. 

"  No,  sir,"  said  he,  "  there's  no  clergyman  aboard 
my  ship." 

"Then,"  said  I,  almost  sulkily,  " what  on  earth, 
Captain  Parsons,  is  the  good  of  you  and  Mrs.  Barstow 


126  A    MARRIAGE    AT   SEA. 

and  Miss  Moggadore  advising  Miss  Bellassys  and  me 
to  get  married  straight  away  off,  as  you  term  it? " 

"  It  ought  to  be  done,"  said  he,  with  an  emphatic 
nod. 

"  What!  without  a  parson? "  I  cried. 

"  /  am  a  parson,"  he  exclaimed. 

I  imagined  he  intended  a  stupid  pun  upon  his 
name. 

"  Parson  enough,"  he  continued,  "  to  do  your  busi- 
ness. /'//  marry  you." 

"  You? "  I  shouted. 

"Yes,  me,"  he  returned,  striking  his  breast  with 
his  fist. 

"  Pray  where  were  you  ordained? "  said  I,  disgusted 
with  the  bad  taste  of  what  I  regarded  as  a  joke. 

"  Ordained? "  he  echoed.  "  I  don't  understand  you. 
I'm  the  master  of  a  British  merchantman,  and  as 
such  can  and  do  desire,  for  Miss  Bellassys'  sake,  to 
marry  ye." 

Now,  I  do  not  know  how,  when,  or  where  I  had 
stumbled  upon  the  fact,  but  all  on  a  sudden  it  came 
into  my  head  that  it  was  as  Captain  Parsons  said — 
namely,  that  the  master  of  a  British  merchantman  was 
empowered,  whether  by  statute,  by  precedent,  or  by 
recognition  of  the  laws  of  necessity,  to  celebrate  the 
marriage  service  on  board  his  own  ship  at  sea.  I 
may  have  read  it  in  the  corner  of  a  newspaper — in 
some  column  of  answers  to  correspondents — as  likely 
as  not  in  a  work  of  fiction;  but  the  mere  fact  of  hav- 
ing heard  of  it  persuaded  me  that  Captain  Parsons 
was  in  earnest;  and  very  much  indeed  did  he  look  in 


A    MARRIAGE    AT   SEA.  127 

earnest  as  he  surveyed  me  with  an  expression  of 
triumph  in  his  little  eyes  while  I  hung  in  the  wind, 
swiftly  thinking. 

"  But  am  I  to  understand,"  said  I,  fetching  a 
breath,  "  that  a  marriage  at  sea,  with  nobody  but  the 
captain  of  the  ship  to  officiate,  is  legal? " 

"  Certainly,"  he  cried.  "  Let  me  splice  you  to 
Miss  Bellassys,  and  there's  nothing  mortal  outside 
the  Divorce  Court  that  can  sunder  you.  How  many 
couples  do  you  think  I've  married  in  my  time?" 

"  I  can  not  imagine." 

"Six,"  he  cried;  "and  they're  all  doing  well, 
too." 

"  Have  you  a  special  marriage  service  at  sea? " 

"  The  same,  word  for  word,  as  you  have  it  in  the 
prayer-book." 

"  And  when  it  is  read — "  said  I,  pausing. 

"  I  enter  the  circumstance  in  the  official  log-book, 
duly  witnessed,  and  then  there  you  are,  much  more 
married  than  it  would  delight  you  to  feel  if  afterward 
you  should  find  out  that  you've  made  a  mistake." 

My  heart  beat  fast.  Though  I  never  dreamed  for 
an  instant  of  accepting  the  skipper's  offices  seriously, 
yet  if  the  ceremony  he  performed  should  be  legal  it 
would  be  a  trump  card  in  my  hand  for  any  game  I 
might  hereafter  have  to  play  with  Lady  Amelia. 

"  But  how,"  said  I,  "  are  you  to  get  over  the  objec- 
tions to  my  marriage?" 

"What  objections?  The  only  objection  I  see  is 
your  not  being  married  already." 

"Why,"  said  I,  "residence  or  license." 


128  A   MARRIAGE    AT    SEA, 

He  flourished  his  hand.  "  You're  both  aboard  my 
ship,  aren't  ye?  That's  residence  enough  for  me.  As 
to  license,  there's  no  such  thing  at  sea.  Suppose  a 
couple  wanted  to  get  married  in  the  middle  of  the 
Pacific  Ocean;  where's  the  license  to  come  from?" 

"But  how  about  the  consent  of  the  guardian?" 

"The  lawful  guardian  isn't  here,"  he  answered; 
"  the  lawful  guardian  is  leagues  astern.  No  use  talk- 
ing of  guardians  aboard  ship.  The  young  lady,  being 
in  this  ship  constitutes  me  her  guardian,  and  it's 
enough  for  you  that  /  give  my  consent." 

His  air  as  he  pronounced  these  words  induced 
such  a  fit  of  laughter  that  for  several  moments  I  was 
unable  to  speak.  He  appeared  to  enjoy  my  merri- 
ment heartily,  and  sat  watching  me  with  the  broadest 
of  grins. 

"  I'm  glad  you  take  to  the  notion  kindly,"  said  he. 
"  I  was  afraid,  with  Mrs.  Barstow,  that  you'd  create  a 
difficulty." 

"  I?  Indeed,  Captain  Parsons,  I  have  nothing  in 
the  world  else  to  do,  nothing  in  the  world  else  to 
think  of,  but  to  get  married.  But  how  about  Miss 
Bellassys? "  I  added,  with  a  shake  of  the  head.  "What 
will  she  have  to  say  to  a  shipboard  wedding?  " 

"  You  leave  her  to  Mrs.  Barstow  and  Miss  Mogga- 
dore,"  said  he,  with  a  nod.  "  Besides,  it's  for  her  to 
be  anxious  to  get  married.  Make  no  mistake,  young 
man.  Until  she  becomes  Mrs.  Barclay,  her  situation 
is  by  no  means  what  it  ought  to  be." 

"  But  is  it  the  fact,  captain,"  I  exclaimed,  visited 
by  a  new  emotion  of  surprise  and  incredulity,  "  that  a 


A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA.  '129 

marriage  celebrated  at  sea  by  the  captain  of  a  ship  is 
legal? " 

Instead  of  answering,  he  counted  upon  his  fingers: 

"Three  and  one  are  four,  and  two  are  six,  and 
two's  eight,  and  three's  eleven,  and  four  again's 
fifteen."  He  paused,  looking  up  at  me,  and  ex- 
claimed, with  as  much  solemnity  as  he  could  impart 
to  his  briny  voice:  "  If  it  isn't  legal,  all  I  can  say  is, 
God  help  fifteen  of  as  fine  a  set  of  children  as  ever  a 
man  could  wish  to  clap  eyes  on — not  counting  the 
twelve  parents  that  I  married.  But,  since  you  seem 
to  doubt — I  wish  I  had  the  official  log-books  contain- 
ing the  entries — tell  ye  what  I'll  do!  "  he  exclaimed, 
jumping  up.  "  Do  you  know  Mr.  Higginson? " 

"  A  passenger,  I  presume? " 

"  Ay,  one  of  the  shrewdest  lawyers  in  New  Zea- 
land. I'll  send  for  him,  and  you  shall  hear  what  he 
says." 

But  on  putting  his  head  out  to  call  for  the  stew- 
ard, he  saw  Mr.  Higginson  sitting  at  the  saloon  table, 
reading.  Some  whispering  followed^nd  they  both 
arrived,  the  captain  carefully  shutting  the  door  behind 
him.  Mr.  Higginson  was  a  tall,  middle-aged  man, 
with  a  face  that  certainly  looked  intellectual  enough 
to  inspire  one  with  some  degree  of  confidence  in  any- 
thing he  might  deliver.  He  put  on  a  pair  of  pince-nez 
glasses,  bowed  to  me,  and  took  a  chair.  The  captain 
began,  awkwardly,  abruptly,  and  in  a  rumbling  voice: 

"  Mr.  Higginson,  I'll  tell  you  in  half  a  dozen  words 
how  the  case  stands.  No  need  for  mystery.  Mr. 
Barclay's  out  on  an  eloping  tour.  He  don't  mind  my 
o 


130  A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA. 

saying  so,  for  we  want  nothing  but  the  truth  aboard 
the  Carthusian.  He's  run  away  with  that  sweet  young 
lady  we  took  off  his  yacht,  and  is  anxious  to  get  mar- 
ried, and  Mrs.  Barstow  and  Miss  Moggadore  don't  at 
all  relish  the  situation  the  young  lady's  put  herself 
in,  and  they're  for  marrying  her  as  quickly  as  the  job 
can  be  done." 

Mr.  Higginson  nursed  his  knee  and  smiled  at  the 
deck  with  a  look  of  embarrassment,  though  he  had 
been  attending  to  the  skipper's  words  with  lawyer- 
like  gravity  down  to  that  moment. 

"  You  see/'  continued  Captain  Parsons,  "  that  the 
young  lady  being  aboard  my  ship  is  under  my  care." 

"  Just  so,"  said  Mr.  Higginson. 

"  Therefore  I'm  her  guardian,  and  it's  my  duty  to 
look  after  her." 

"Just  so,"  murmured  Mr.  Higginson. 

"  Now,  I  suppose  you're  aware,  sir,"  continued  the 
captain,  "  that  the  master  of  a  British  merchantman  is 
fully  empowered  to  marry  any  couple  aboard  his 
ship?" 

"  Empowered  by  what? "  asked  Mr.  Higginson. 

"  He  has  the  right  to  do  it,  sir,"  answered  the  cap- 
tain. 

"  It  is  a  subject,"  said  Mr.  Higginson,  nervously, 
"  upon  which  I  am  hardly  qualified  to  give  an  opin- 
ion." 

"  Is  a  shipboard  marriage  legal,  or  is  it  not  legal? " 
demanded  the  captain. 

"  I  can  not  answer  as  to  the  legality,"  answered  the 
lawyer;  "but  I  believe  there  are  several  instances  on 


A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA.  131 

record  of  marriages  having  taken  place  at  sea,  and  I 
should  say,"  he  added,  slowly  and  cautiously,  "that, 
in  the  event  of  their  legality  ever  being  tested,  no 
court  would  be  found  willing,  on  the  merits  of  the 
contracts  as  marriages,  to  set  them  aside." 

"There  ye  have  it,  Mr.  Barclay!"  cried  the  cap- 
tain, with  a  triumphant  swing  round  in  his  chair. 

"  In  the  case  of  a  marriage  at  sea,"  continued  Mr. 
Higginson,  looking  at  me,  "  I  should  certainly 
counsel  the  parties  not  to  depend  upon  the  validity  of 
their  union,  but  to  make  haste  to  confirm  it  by  a  sec- 
ond marriage  on  their  arrival  at  port." 

"  Needless  expense  and  trouble,"  whipped  out  the 
captain;  "there's  the  official  log-book;  what  more's 
wanted?" 

"  But  is  there  no  form  required,  no  license  neces- 
sary? "  I  exclaimed,  addressing  Mr.  Higginson. 

"  Hardly,  at  sea,  I  should  say,"  he  answered,  smil- 
ing. 

"  My  argument!  "  shouted  the  captain. 

"  But  the  young  lady  is  under  age,"  I  continued. 
"She  is  an  orphan,  and  her  aunt  is  her  guardian. 
How  about  that  aunt's  consent,  sir?" 

"How can  it  be  obtained?"  exclaimed  the  lawyer. 

"  My  argument  again!''  roared  the  captain. 

"  No  doubt,"  said  Mr.  Higginson,  "  as  the  young 
lady  is  under  age  the  marriage  could  be  rendered  by 
the  action  of  the  guardian  null  and  void.  But  would 
the  guardian  in  this  case  take  such  a  step?  Would 
she  not  rather  desire  that  this  union  at  sea  should  be 
confirmed  by  a  wedding  on  shore?" 


132  A    MARRIAGE    AT   SEA. 

"You  exactly  express  my  hope,"said  I;  "but  before 
we  decide,  Captain  Parsons,  let  me  first  of  all  talk 
the  matter  over  with  Miss  Bellassys." 

"  All  right,  sir,"  he  answered;  "  but  don't  lose  sight 
of  this:  that  while  the  young  lady's  aboard  my  ship  I'm 
her  natural  guardian  and  protector;  the  law  holds 
me  accountable  for  her  safety  and  well-being,  and 
what  I  say  is,  she  ought  to  be  married.  I've  explained 
why;  and  I  say  she  ought  to  be  married.' " 


VIII. 

A  few  minutes  later  I  quitted  the  cabin,  leaving 
the  captain  and  Mr.  Higginson  arguing  upon  the 
powers  of  a  commander  of  a  ship,  the  skipper  shout- 
ing, as  I  opened  the  door,  "  I  tell  you,  Mr.  Higginson, 
that  the  master  of  a  vessel  may  not  only  legally  marry 
a  couple,  but  may  legally  christen  their  infants,  sir, 
and  then  legally  bury  the  lot  of  them  if  they  should 
die." 

I  found  Grace  seated  at  the  table  between  Mrs. 
Barstow  and  Miss  Moggadore.  Mrs.  Barstow  be- 
stowed a  smile  upon  me,  but  Miss  Moggadore's  thin 
lips  did  not  part,  and  there  was  something  very 
austere  and  acid  in  the  gaze  she  fastened  upon  my 
face.  The  saloon  was  now  in  full  blaze,  and  presented 
a  very  fine,  sparkling  appearance,  indeed.  The  motion 
of  the  ship  was  so  quiet  that  the  swing  of  the  radiant 
lamps  was  hardly  noticeable.  Some  eight  or  ten  of 
the  passengers  were  scattered  about — a  couple  at 
chess,  another  reading,  a  third  leaning  back  with  his 
eyes  fixed  on  a  lamp,  and  so  on. 

I  leaned  over  the  back  of  my  darling's  chair  and 
addressing  some  commonplaces  to  her  and  to  the  two 
ladies,  intending  presently  to  withdraw  her,  that  I 
might  have  a  long  talk;  but  after  a  minute  or  two 
Mrs.  Barstow  rose  and  went  to  her  cabin,  a  hint  that 


134  A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA. 

Miss  Moggadore  was  good  enough  to  take.     I  seated 
myself  in  that  lady's  chair  at  Grace's  side. 

"  Well,  my  pet,  and  what  have  they  been  talking 
to  you  about?" 

"  They  have  been  urging  me  to  marry  you  to-mor- 
row morning,  Herbert,"  she  answered,  with  a  smile 
that  was  half  a  pout,  and  a  blush  that  did  not  signify 
so  much  embarrassment  but  that  she  could  look 
at  me. 

"  I  am  fresh  from  a  long  talk  with  the  captain," 
said  I,  "  and  he  has  been  urging  me  to  do  the  same 
thing." 

"It  is  ridiculous,"  said  she,  holding  down  her 
head.  "  There  is  no  clergyman  in  the  ship." 

"  But  the  captain  of  a  vessel  may  act  as  a  clergy- 
man, under  the  circumstances,"  said  I. 

"I  don't  believe  it,  Herbert." 

"But  see  here,  Grace,"  said  I,  speaking  earnestly 
but  softly,  for  there  were  ears  not  far  distant;  "it  is 
not  likely  that  we  should  regard  the  captain's  cele- 
bration of  our  marriage  here  as  more  than  something 
that  will  strengthen  our  hands  for  the  struggle  with 
your  aunt.  Until  we  have  been  joined  by  a  clergy- 
man in  proper  shipshape  fashion,  as  Captain  Parsons 
himself  might  say,  we  shall  not  be  man  and  wife;  but 
then,  my  darling,  consider  this:  first  of  all  it  is  in  the 
highest  degree  probable  that  a  marriage  performed 
on  board  a  ship  by  her  captain  is  legal;  next,  that 
your  aunt  would  suppose  we  regarded  the  union  as 
legal,  when  of  course  she  would  be  forced  to  conclude 
we  regarded  ourselves  as  man  and  wife.  Would  she 


A   MARRIAGE    AT   SEA.  135 

then  dare  come  between  us?  Her  consent  must  be 
wrung  from  her  by  this  politic  stroke  of  shipboard 
wedding,  that  to  her  mind  would  be  infinitely  more 
significant  than  our  association  in  the  yacht.  She 
will  go  about  and  inquire  if  a  shipboard  wedding  is 
legal;  her  lawyers  will  answer  her  as  best  they  can, 
but  their  advice  will  be,  secure  your  niece  by  send- 
ing your  consent  to  Penzance,  that  she  may  be  legiti- 
mately married  in  an  English  church  by  a  Church  of 
England  clergyman.15 

She  listened  thoughtfully,  but  with  an  air  of 
childish  simplicity  that  was  inexpressibly  touching  to 
my  love  for  her. 

"It  would  be  merely  a  ceremony,"  said  she,  lean- 
ing her  cheek  in  her  hand,  "  to  strengthen  your 
appeal  to  Aunt  Amelia?" 

"Wholly,  my  darling." 

"  Well,  dearest,"  said  she,  gently,  "  if  you  wish 
it—" 

I  could  have  taken  her  to  my  heart  for  her  ready 
compliance.  I  had  expected  a  resolved  refusal,  and 
had  promised  myself  some  hours,  both  that  evening 
and  next  day,  of  exhortation,  entreaty,  and  repre- 
sentation. I  was,  indeed,  hot  on  the  project,  and 
even  as  I  talked  to  her  I  felt  my  enthusiasm  grow- 
ing. Secretly  I  had  no  doubt  whatever  that  Captain 
Parsons  was  empowered  as  master  of  a  British  mer- 
chantman to  marry  us;  and  though,  as  I  had  told 
her,  I  should  consider  the  ceremony  as  simply  an 
additional  weapon  for  fighting  Aunt  Amelia  with,  yet 
as  a  contract  it  might  securely  bind  us,  too;  we  were 


136  A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA. 

to  be  parted  only  by  the  action  of  the  aunt;  this,  I 
felt  assured,  for  the  sake  of  her  niece's  fame  and 
future  and  for  her  own  name,  her  ladyship  would 
never  attempt;  so  that  from  the  moment  the  captain 
ended  the  service,  Grace  would  be  my  wife  to  all 
intents  and  purposes,  which  indeed  was  all  we  had  in 
view  when  we  glided  out  of  Boulogne  harbor  in  the 
poor  little  Spitfire. 

However,  though  she  had  sweetly  and  promptly 
consented,  a  great  deal  remained  to  talk  about.  I 
repeated  all  that  Captain  Parsons  and  all  that  Mr. 
Higginson  had  said,  and  when  we  had  exhausted  the 
subject  we  naturally  spoke  of  our  prospects  of  quit- 
ting the  Carthusian;  and,  one  subject  suggesting 
another,  we  sat  chatting  till  about  nine  o'clock,  at 
which  hour  the  stewards  arrived  with  wine  and  grog 
and  biscuits,  whereupon  the  passengers  put  away 
their  books  and  chess-boards  and  gathered  about  the 
table,  effectually  ending  our  tefe-d,-tete.  Then  Mrs. 
Barstow  arrived,  followed  by  Miss  Moggadore.  I 
took  the  former  lady  aside,  leaving  Grace  in  charge 
of  the  acidulated  gentlewoman  with  the  curls. 

"  Miss  Bellassys  tells  me,"  said  I,  "  that  you  have 
warmly  counseled  her  to  allow  Captain  Parsons  to 
marry  us.  You  are  very  good.  You  could  not  do  us 
a  greater  service  than  by  giving  such  advice.  She 
has  consented,  asking  only  that  the  ceremony  shall  be 
privately  performed  in  the  captain's  cabin." 

"She  is  very  young,"  replied  Mrs.  Barstow — "too 
young,  I  fear,  to  realize  her  position.  I  am  a  mother, 
Mr.  Barclay,  and  my  sympathies  are  entirely  with 


A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA.  137 

your  charming  sweetheart.  Under  such  conditions 
as  we  find  her  in,  we  must  all  wish  to  see  her  married. 
Were  her  mother  living,  I  am  sure  that  would  be  her 
desire." 

"Were  her  mother  living,"  said  I,  "there  would 
have  been  no  elopement." 

She  inclined  her  head  with  a  cordial  gesture. 
"  Miss  Bellassys,"  said  she,  "  has  been  very  candid. 
As  a  mother  myself,  I  must  blame  her;  but  as  a 
woman — "  She  shook  her  head,  smiling. 

We  stood  apart  conversing  for  some  time,  and 
were  then  interrupted  by  the  head  steward,  who  came 
to  tell  me  that  by  orders  of  the  captain  I  was  to  sleep 
in  a  berth  occupied  by  one  of  the  passengers,  a  Mr. 
Tooth.  I  went  to  inspect  tkis  berth,  and  was  very 
well  pleased  to  find  a  clean  and  comfortable  bed  pre- 
pared. 

I  had  my  pipe  and  a  pouch  of  tobacco  in  my 
pocket,  and  thought  I  would  go  on  deck  for  half  an 
hour  before  retiring  to  bed.  As  I  passed  the  table 
on  my  way  to  the  companion-ladder,  Mr.  Higginson 
rose  from  a  book  he  had  been  reading,  and  detained 
me  by  putting  his  hand  upon  my  arm. 

"  I  have  been  thinking  over  the  matter  of  mar- 
riages at  sea,  Mr.  Barclay,"  he  began,  with  a  wary 
look  to  make  sure  that  nobody  was  listening.  "I 
wish  we  had  a  copy  of  the  Merchant  Shippings  Act 
for  1854,  for  I  believe  there  is  a  section  which  pro- 
vides that  every  master  of  a  ship  carrying  an  official 
log-book  shall  enter  in  it  every  marriage  that  takes 
place  on  board,  together  with  the  names  and  ages  of 


138  A   MARRIAGE    AT    SEA. 

the  parties;  and  I  fancy  there  is  another  section 
which  provides  that  every  master  of  every  foreign- 
going  ship  shall  sign  and  deliver  to  some  mercantile 
marine  authority  a  list  containing,  among  other 
things,  a  statement  of  every  marriage  which  takes 
place  on  board.  There  is  also  an  act  called,  if  my 
memory  serves  me,  the  Confirmation  of  Marriage  on 
her  Majesty's  Ships  Act;  but  this,  I  presume,  does 
not  concern  what  may  happen  in  merchant  vessels.  I 
should  like  to  read  up  Hammick  on  the  '  Marriage 
Laws  of  England.'  One  thing,  however,  is  clear; 
marriage  at  sea  is  contemplated  by  the  Merchant 
Shippings  Act  of  1854.  Merchantmen  do  not  carry 
chaplains;  a  clergyman  in  attendance  as  a  passenger 
was  assuredly  not  in  the  minds  of  those  who  are 
responsible  for  the  Act.  The  sections,  in  my  opinion, 
point  to  the  captain  as  the  person  to  officiate;  and, 
having  turned  the  matter  thoroughly  over,  I  don't 
scruple  to  pronounce  that  a  marriage  solemnized  at 
sea  by  the  master  of  a  British  merchantman  is  as  legal 
and  valid  as  though  celebrated  on  shore  in  the  usual 
way." 

"  I  am  delighted  to  hear  you  say  so,"  said  I. 

"  It  is  a  most  interesting  point,"  said  he.  "  It 
ought  certainly  to  be  settled." 

I  laughed  out,  and  went  on  deck  with  my  spirits 
in  a  dance.  To  think  of  such  a  marriage  as  we  con- 
templated! and  to  find  it  in  all  probability  as  binding 
as  the  shore-going  ceremony!  Assuredly  it  is  an  ill- 
wind  that  blows  nobody  any  good,  and  the  gale  that 
had  nearly  foundered  us  was  to  end  in  returning  us 


A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA.  139 

to  our  native  shores  a  wedded  pair!  I  filled  my  pipe, 
and  stood  musing  a  bit,  thinking  of  Caudel  and  the 
others  of  the  little  dandy,  of  the  yacht,  of  the  gale 
we  had  outlived,  and  of  twenty  other  like  matters, 
when  the  voice  of  the  captain  broke  in  upon  my 
reverie: 

"  This  will  be  you,  Mr.  Barclay?  I  begin  to  know 
you  now  without  candle-light,  by  your  height." 

"Yes,  it  is  I,  captain — just  stepped  on  deck  for  a 
smoke  and  a  breath  of  this  cool  wind  before  turning 
it.  Do  you  know,  when  I  view  the  great  dark  outline 
of  your  ship  sweeping  through  this  tremendous  space 
of  darkness,  and  then  think  of  the  crowds  of  people 
asleep  in  her  heart,  I  can't  but  believe  the  post  of 
commander  of  a  big  merchantman,  like  this  vessel, 
foremost  among  the  most  responsible  under  the 
sun?" 

"  Sir,  you  are  right,"  replied  the  little  man,  in  a 
voice  that  was  almost  oily  with  gratification.  "  Let 
us  walk." 

We  started  to  measure  the  planks  from  the  wheel 
to  half-way  the  length  of  the  poop. 

"  There  is  no  doubt,"  said  I,  "  that  you,  as  master 
of  this  vessel,  are,  as  you  have  all  along  contended, 
empowered  to  marry  me  to  Miss  Bellassys."  And 
then  I  gave  him  the  substance  of  what  Mr.  Higginson 
had  said  to  me  below. 

"  I  was  sure  that  Higginson  would  see  it  after 
thinking  a  bit,"  said  he.  "  Of  course  I  am  empowered 
to  marry  on  board  my  ship  any  couple  that  may  apply 
to  me.  Have  you  spoken  to  Miss  Bellassys? " 


140  A   MARRIAGE   AT   SEA. 

« I  have." 

"  And  is  she  agreeable?  " 

"  Perfectly  agreeable." 

"Good!"  said  he,  with  a  chuckle.  "Now,  when 
shall  it  be? " 

"  Oh,  it  is  for  you  to  say,  captain." 

"Ten  o'clock  to-morrow  morning  do?" 

"Very  well,  indeed,"  I  answered;  "but  it  will  be 
quite  private,  Captain  Parsons;  it  is  Miss  Bellassys' 
wish." 

I  slept  right  through  the  night;  and  when  I  awoke, 
Mr.  Tooth  was  shaving  himself,  and  the  cabin  was 
brilliant  with  sunshine,  whitened  to  a  finer  glory  yet 
by  the  broad  surface  of  milk-white  froth  that  was 
rushing  past  the  ship.  The  ship  was  heeling  to  it 
as  a  yacht  might;  her  yards  were  braced  forward,  and 
the  snow  at  her  forefoot  soared  and  blew  away  in 
smoke  to  the  sliding,  irresistible  thrust  of  her  sharp 
metal  stem.  The  sea  for  leagues  and  leagues  rolled 
blue,  foaming,  brilliant;  wool-like  clouds,  lovely  with 
prismatic  glitterings  in  their  skirts  as  they  sailed  from 
the  sun  were  speeding  into  the  southeast;  the  whole 
life  of  the  world  seemed  to  be  in  that  morning — in 
the  joyous  sweep  of  the  wind,  and  in  the  frolicsome 
frothing  of  each  long  blue  ridge  of  rolling  sea,  in  the 
triumphant  speeding  of  the  ship  sliding  buoyant  from 
one  soft,  foam-freckled  hollow  to  another. 

I  drew  a  deep  breath.  "Ha!"  thought  I,  "if  it 
were  always  like  this,  now,  and  New  Zealand  not  so 
distant! " 

I  saw  nothing  of  Grace  till  the  cabin  breakfast  was 


A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA.  141 

ready.  Most  of  the  first-class  passengers  had  by  this 
time  assembled,  some  of  those  who  had  been  seasick 
yesterday  issuing  from  their  cabins;  and  I  noticed  a 
general  stare  of  admiration  as  my  darling  stepped 
forth,  followed  by  Mrs.  Barstow.  Her  long  and  com- 
fortable night's  rest  had  restored  her  bloom  to  her. 
How  sweet  she  looked!  how  engaging  the  girlish 
dignity  of  her  posture!  how  bright  her  timid  eyes  as 
she  paused  to  send  a  glance  round  in  search  of  me! 
I  was  instantly  at  her  side. 

"The  ceremony  is  fixed  for  ten,  I  think?"  said 
Mrs.  Barstow;  and  here  Miss  Moggadore  arrived,  as 
one  who  had  a  right  to  be  of  us,  not  to  say  with  us. 

"  I  am  of  opinion,"  said  she,  "  that  the  ceremony 
ought  to  be  public." 

"I'd  rather -not,"  I  answered.  "  In  fact,  we  both 
had  rather  not." 

"But  so  many  witnesses!"  said  Miss  Moggadore. 

"Shall you  be  present?"  inquired  Mrs.  Barstow. 

"  I  hope  to  receive  an  invitation,"  answered  Miss 
Moggadore. 

"We  shall  count  upon  your  being  present,"  ex- 
claimed Grace,  sweetly;  but  the  smile  with  which  she 
spoke  quickly  faded;  she  looked  grave  and  nervous, 
and  I  found  some  reproach  in  the  eyes  she  lifted  to 
my  face. 

"  It  seems  so  unreal — almost  impious,  Herbert,  as 
though  we  were  acting  a  sham  part  in  a  terribly 
solemn  act,"  she  exclaimed,  as  we  seated  ourselves. 

"  There  is  no  sham  in  it,  my  pet.  Yonder  sits  Mr. 
Higginson,  a  lawyer,  and  that  man  has  no  doubt 


A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA. 

whatever  that  when  we  are  united  by  the  captain  we 
shall  be  as  much  man  and  wife  as  any  clergyman 
could  make  us." 

"I  consent,  but  only  to  please  you,"  said  she,  with 
something  of  restlessness  in  her  manner;  and  I 
noticed  that  she  eat  but  little. 

"  My  darling,  you  know  why  I  wish  this  marriage 
performed,"  I  said,  speaking  softly  in  her  ear,  for 
there  were  many  eyes  upon  us,  and  some  ladies  who 
had  not  before  put  in  an  appearance  were  seated 
almost  opposite  and  constantly  directed  their  gaze  at 
us,  while  they  would  pass  remarks  in  whispers  when 
they  bent  their  heads  over  their  plates.  "It  can  do 
no  possible  harm;  it  must  be  my  cousin,  not  Captain 
Parsons,  who  makes  you  my  wife.  But  then,  Grace, 
it  may  b'e  binding,  too,  requiring  nothing  more  than 
the  sanctification  of  the  union  in  the  regular  way; 
and  it  may — it  will — create  a  difficulty  for  your  aunt 
which  should  go  very  near  extinguishing  her." 

She  sighed,  and  appeared  nervous  and  depressed; 
but  I  was  too  eager  to  have  my  way  to  choose  to 
notice  her  manner.  It  would  be  a  thing  of  the  past 
in  a  very  little  while;  we  might  hope,  at  all  events,  to 
be  on  our  way  home  shortly,  and  I  easily  foresaw  I 
should  never  forgive  myself  after  leaving  the  Carthu- 
sian, if  I  suffered  Grace  to  influence  me  into  refusing 
the  captain's  offer  to  marry  us,  odd  as  the  whole  busi- 
ness was,  and  irregular  as  it  might  prove,  too,  for  all 
I  could  tell. 


IX. 

When  breakfast  was  over,  Mrs.  Barstow  took 
Grace  to  her  cabin,  and  there  they  remained.  Miss 
Moggadore  stepped  up  to  me  as  I  was  about  to  go  on 
deck,  and  said: 

"It  is  not  yet  too  late,  Mr.  Barclay,  and  I  really 
think  it  ought  to  be  a  public  ceremony." 

"  Sooner  than  that,  I  would  decline  it  altogether," 
said  I,  in  no  humor  at  that  moment  to  be  teased  by 
the  opinions  of  an  acidulated  spinster. 

"  I  consider,"  she  said,  "  that  a  wedding  can  never 
take  place  in  too  public  a  manner.  It  is  proper  that 
the  whole  world  should  know  that  a  couple  are  truly 
man  and  wife." 

"  The  whole  world,"  said  I,  "  in  the  sense  of  this 
ship,  must  know  it,  as  far  as  I  am  concerned,  without 
seeing  it." 

"Well,"  said  she,  with  a  simper  which  her  mere 
streak  of  lip  was  but  little  fitted  to  contrive,  "  I  hope 
you  will  have  all  happiness  in  your  wedded  lives." 

I  bowed,  without  replying,  and  passed  up  the 
steps,  not  choosing  to  linger  longer  in  the  face  of  the 
people  who  hung  about  me  with  an  air  of  careless- 
ness, but  with  faces  of  curiosity. 

Presently  I  looked  at  my  watch;  a  quarter  to  ten. 
Mr.  Tooth  strolled  up  to  me. 

"  All  alone,  Mr.  Barclay?  'Tis  a  fact,  have  you 
noticed,  that  when  a  man  is  about  to  get  married, 

(148Y 


144  A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA. 

people  hold  off  from  him?  I  can  understand  this  of 
a  corpse;  but  a  live  young  man,  you  know — and  only 
because  he's  going  to  get  married!  By  the  way,  as  it 
is  to  be  a  private  affair,  I  suppose  there  is  no  chance 
for  me?  " 

"The  captain  is  the  host,"  I  answered.  "  He  is  to 
play  the  father.  If  he  chooses  to  invite  you,  by  all 
means  be  present."  As  I  spoke,  the  captain  came  on 
deck,  turning  his  head  about  in  manifest  search  of 
me.  He  gravely  beckoned  with  an  air  of  ceremony, 
and  Mr.  Tooth  and  I  went  up  to  him.  He  looked  at 
Mr.  Tooth,  who  immediately  said: 

"Captain,  a  wedding  at  sea  is  good  enough  to 
remember — something  for  a  man  to  talk  about. 
Cant  I  be  present? "  And  he  dropped  his  head  on 
one  side  with  an  insinuating  smile. 

"No,  sir,"  answered  Captain  Parsons,  with  true 
sea-grace,  and,  putting  his  hand  on  my  arm,  he  car- 
ried me  right  aft.  "  The  hour's  at  hand,"  said  he. 
"Who's  to  be  present,  d'ye  know?  for  if  it's  to  be 
private  we  don't  want  a  crowd." 

"Mrs.  Barstow  and  Miss  Moggadore;  nobody  else, 
I  believe." 

"  Better  have  a  couple  of  men  as  witnesses.  What 
d'ye  say  to  Mr.  Higginson? " 

"Anybody  you  please,  captain." 

"And  the  second?"  said  he,  tilting  his  hat  and 
thinking.  "  McCosh?  Yes,  I  don't  think  you  can  do 
better  than  McCosh.  A  thoughtful  Scotchman,  with 
an  excellent  memory."  He  pulled  out  his  watch.  "  Five 
minutes  to  ten.  Let  us  go  below."  And  down  he  went. 


A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA.  145 

The  steward  was  dispatched  to  bring  Mr.  Higgin- 
son  and  the  chief  mate,  Mr.  McCosh,  to  the  captain's 
cabin.  The  saloon  was  empty;  possibly  out  of  con- 
sideration to  our  feelings,  the  people  had  gone  on 
deck  or  withdrawn  to  their  berths. 

"Bless  me!  I  had  quite  forgotten,"  cried  Captain 
Parsons,  as  he  entered  his  cabin.  "  Have  you  a 
wedding-ring,  Mr.  Barclay? " 

"  Oh,  yes,"  I  answered,  laughing,  and  pulling  out 
the  purse  in  which  I  kept  it.  "  Little  use  in  sailing 
away  with  a  young  lady,  Captain  Parsons,  to  get 
married,  unless  you  carry  the  ring  with  you." 

"Glad  you  have  it.  We  can't  be  too  shipshape. 
But  I  presume  you  know,"  said  the  little  fellow,  "that 
<my  sort  of  a  ring  would  do — even  a  curtain-ring.  No 
occasion  for  the  lady  to  wear  what  you  slip  on,  though 
I  believe  it's  expected  she  should  keep  it  upon  her 
finger  till  the  service  is  over.  Let  me  see  now — there's 
something  else  I  wanted  to  say.  Oh,  yes;  who's  to 
give  the  bride  away?  " 

There  was  a  knock  at  the  door,  and  Mr.  Higgin- 
son,  followed  by  Mr.  McCosh,  entered. 

"  Mr.  Higginson,"  immediately  cried  the  captain, 
"  you  will  give  the  bride  away." 

The  lawyer  put  his  hand  upon  his  shirt-front,  and 
bowed.  I  glanced  at  McCosh,  who  had  scarcely  had 
time  to  do  more  than  flourish  a  hair-brush.  He  was 
extraordinarily  grave,  and  turned  a  very  literal  eye 
found  about.  I  asked  him  if  he  had  ever  before  taken 
part  in  a  ceremony  of  this  sort  at  sea.  He  reflected, 
and  answered,  "  No,  neither  at  sea  nor  ashore." 
10 


146  A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA. 

"  But,  seeing  that  you  are  a  witness,  Mr.  McCosh, 
you  thoroughly  understand  the  significance  of  the  mar- 
riage service,  I  hope  ?  "  said  Mr.  Higginson,  dryly. 

"  D'ye  know,  then,  sir,"  answered  McCosh,  in  the 
voice  of  a  saw  going  through  a  balk  of  timber,  "  I  never 
read  or  heard  a  line  of  the  marriage  service  in  all 
my  life.  But  I  have  a  very  good  understanding  of  the 
object  of  the  ceremony." 

"  I  hope  so,  Mr.  McCosh,"  said  the  captain,  looking 
at  him  doubtfully.  "  It  is  as  a  witness  that  you're 
here." 

"'Twill  be  a/atf,  no  doubt?  "  said  Mr.  McCosh. 

"  Certainly,"  said  the  lawyer. 

"Then,  of  course,"  said  the  mate,  "I  shall  always 
be  able  to  swear  to  it." 

"Ten  minutes  past  ten,"  cried  the  captain,  whip- 
ping out  his  watch.  "  I  hope  Miss  Moggadore's  not 
keeping  the  ladies  waiting  while  she  powders  herself 
or  fits  a  new  cap  to  her  hair." 

He  opened  the  door  to  call  to  the  steward,  then 
hopped  back  with  a  sudden  convulsive  sea-bow  to 
make  room  for  the  ladies,  who  were  approaching. 

My  darling  was  very  white  and  looked  at  me  pite- 
ously.  She  came  to  my  side,  and  slipped  her  hand 
into  mine,  whispering  under  her  breath,  "  Such  a  silly, 
senseless  ceremony !  "  I  pressed  her  fingers,  and  whis- 
pered back  that  the  ceremony  was  not  for  us,  but  for 
Aunt  Amelia.  She  wore  her  hat  and  jacket,  and  Mrs. 
Barstow  was  clad  as  for  the  deck;  but  Miss  Mogga- 
dore,  on  the  other  hand,  as  though  in  justification  of 
what  the  captain  had  said  about  her,  made  her  appear- 


A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA.  147 

ance  in  the  most  extraordinary  cap  I  had  ever  seen — 
an  inflated  arrangement,  as  though  she  were  fresh 
from  a  breeze  of  wind  that  held  it  bladder-like.  She 
had  changed  her  gown,  too,  for  a  sort  of  Sunday  dress 
of  satin  or  some  such  material.  She  courtesied  on 
entering,  and  took  up  her  position  alongside  of 
McCosh,  where  she  stood  viewing  the  company  with 
an  austere  gaze  which  so  harmonized  with  the  dry, 
literal,  sober  stare  of  the  mate  that  I  had  to  turn  my 
back  upon  her  to  save  the  second  explosion  of  laugh- 
ter. 

"Are  we  all  ready?  "  said  the  little  captain,  in  the 
voice  of  a  man  who  might  hail  his  mate  to  tell  him  to 
prepare  to  put  the  ship  about,  and  McCosh  mechan- 
ically answered : 

"Ay,  ay,  sir,  all  ready." 

On  this  the  captain  went  to  the  table,  where  lay  a 
big  church  service  in  large  type,  and,  putting  on  his 
glasses,  looked  at  us  over  them  as  a  hint  for  us  to  take 
our  places.  He  then  began  to  read,  so  slowly  that  I 
foresaw,  unless  he  skipped  many  of  the  passages,  we 
should  be  detained  half  the  morning  in  his  cabin.  He 
read  with  extraordinary  enjoyment  of  the  sound  of  his 
own  voice,  and  constantly  lifted  his  eyes,  while  he  de- 
livered the  sentences  as  though  he  were  admonishing 
instead  of  marrying  us.  Grace  kept  her  head  hung, 
and  I  felt  her  trembling  when  I  took  her  hand.  I  had 
flattered  myself  that  I  should  exhibit  no  nervousness 
in  such  an  ordeal  as  this ;  but,  though  I  was  not  sensi- 
ble of  any  disposition  to  tears,  I  must  confess  that  my 
secret  agitation  was  incessantly  prompting  me  to 


148  A   MARRIAGE    AT   SEA. 

laughter  of  a  hysterical  sort,  which  I  restrained  with 
struggles  that  caused  me  no  small  suffering.  It  is  at 
such  times  as  these,  perhaps,  that  the  imagination  is 
most  inconveniently  active. 

The  others  stood  behind  me ;  I  could  not  see  them ; 
it  would  have  eased  me,  I  think,  had  I  been  able  to  do 
so.  The  thought  of  McCosh's  face,  the  fancy  of  Miss 
Moggadore's  cap,  grew  dreadfully  oppressive  through 
my  inability  to  vent  the  emotions  they  induced.  My 
distress  was  increased  by  the  mate's  pronunciation  of 
the  word  "Amen."  He  was  always  late  with  it,  as 
though  waiting  for  the  others  to  lead  the  way,  unless  it 
was  that  he  chose  to  take  a  "  thocht  "  before  commit- 
ting himself.  My  wretchedness  was  heightened  by  the 
effect  of  this  lonely  Amen,  whose  belatedness  he 
accentuated  by  the  fervent  manner  in  which  he 
breathed  it  out. 

Yet,  in  spite  of  the  several  grotesque  conditions 
which  entered  into  it,  this  was  a  brief  passage  of  ex- 
perience that  was  by  no  means  lacking  in  romantic 
and  even  poetic  beauty.  The  fiashful  trembling  of  the 
sunlit  sea  was  in  the  atmosphere  of  the  cabin,  and 
bulkhead  and  upper  deck  seemed  to  race  with  the  rip- 
pling of  the  waves  of  light  in  them.  Through  the 
open  port  came  the  seething  and  pouring  song  of  the 
ocean — the  music  of  smiting  billows,  the  small  har- 
monies of  foam-bells  and  of  seething  eddies.  There 
was  the  presence  of  the  ocean,  too,  the  sense  of  its 
infinity,  and  of  the  speeding  ship,  a  speck  under  the 
heavens,  yet  fraught  with  the  passions  and  feelings  of 
a  multitude  of  souls  bound  to  a  new  world,  fresh  from 


A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA.  149 

a  land  which  many  of  them  would  never  again  be- 
hold. 

The  captain  took  a  very  long  time  in  marrying  us. 
Had  this  business  possessed  any  sort  of  flavor  of  senti- 
ment for  Grace,  it  must  have  vanished  under  the  slow, 
somewhat  husky,  self-complacent,  deep-sea  delivery  of 
old  Parsons.  I  took  the  liberty  of  pulling  out  my 
watch  as  a  hint,  but  he  was  enjoying  himself  too  much 
to  be  in  a  hurry.  Nothing,  I  believe,  could  h»ve  so 
contributed  to  the  felicity  of  this  man  as  the  prospect 
of  uniting  one  or  more  couples  every  day.  On  several 
occasions  his  eyes  appeared  to  fix  themselves  upon 
Miss  Moggadore,  to  whom  he  would  accentuate  the 
words  he  pronounced  by  several  nods.  The  marriage 
service,  as  we  all  know,  is  short,  yet  Captain  Parsons 
kept  us  an  hour  in  his  cabin  listening  to  it.  Before 
reciting  "  All  ye  that  are  married,"  he  hemmed  loudly, 
and  appeared  to  address  himself  exclusively  to  Miss 
Moggadore,  to  judge  by  the  direction  in  which  he  con- 
tinued to  nod  emphatically. 

At  last  he  closed  his  book,  slowly  gazing  at  one  or 
the  other  of  us  over  his  glasses,  as  if  to  witness  the 
effect  of  his  reading  in  our  faces.  He  then  opened  his 
official  log-book,  and  in  a  whisper,  as  though  he  were 
in  church,  called  Mr.  Higginson  and  Mr.  McCosh  to 
the  table  to  witness  his  entry.  Having  written  it,  he 
requested  the  two  witnesses  to  read  it.  Mr.  McCosh 
pronounced  it  "arl  reet,"  and  Mr.  Higginson  nodded 
as  gravely  as  though  he  were  about  to  read  a  will. 

"The  ladies  must  see  this  entry,  too,"  said  Captain 
Parsons,  still  preserving  his  Sabbatical  tone.  "  Can't 


150  A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA. 

have  too  many  witnesses.  Never  can  tell  what  may 
happen." 

The  ladies  approached  and  peered,  and  Miss  Mogga- 
dore's  face  took  on  an  unusually  hard  and  acid  ex- 
pression as  she  pored  upon  the  captain's  handwriting. 

"  Pray  read  it  out,  Miss  Moggadore,"  said  I. 

"Ay,  do,"  exclaimed  the  captain. 

In  a  thin,  harsh  voice,  like  the  cheep  of  a  sheave 
set  revolving  in  a  block — wonderfully  in  accord,  by 
the  way,  with  the  briny  character  of  the  ceremony — 
the  lady  read  as  follows : 

"  10:10  a.  m. — Solemnized  the  nuptials  of  Herbert 
Barclay,  Esquire,  gentleman,  and  Grace  Bellassys, 
spinster.  Present,  Mrs.  Barstow,  Miss  Moggadore, 
James  Higginson,  Esquire,  solicitor,  and  Donald 
McCosh,  chief  officer.  This  marriage  thus  celebrated 
was  conducted  according  to  the  rites  and  ceremonies 
of  the  Church  of  England." 

"  And  now,  Mr.  Barclay,"  said  Captain  Parsons,  as 
Miss  Moggadore  concluded,  "  you'd  like  a  certificate 
under  my  hand,  wouldn't  you  ?  " 

"We're  not  strangers  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Barclay's 
views,"  said  Mr.  Higginson,  "  and  I  am  certainly  of 
opinion,  captain,  that  Mr.  Barclay  ought  to  have  such 
a  certificate  as  you  suggest,  that  on  his  arrival  at  home 
he  may  send  copies  of  it  to  those  whom  it  concerns." 

At  the  utterance  of  the  words  "  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bar- 
clay" I  laughed,  while  Grace  started,  gave  me  an 
appealing  look,  turned  a  deep  red,  and  averted  her 
face.  The  captain  produced  a  sheet  of  paper,  and, 
after  looking  into  a  dictionary  once — "Nothing  like 


A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA.  151 

accuracy,"  said  he,  "  in  jobs  of  this  sort  " — he  asked, 
"  Will  this  do  ?  "  and  thereupon  read  as  follows: 

"Snip  'CARTHUSIAN,' 
"  At  Sea  [such  and  such  a  date]. 
"  I,  Jonathan  Parsons,  master  of  the  above-named 
ship  Carthusian,  of  London,  toward  New  Zealand,  do 
hereby  certify  that  I  have  this  day  united  in  the  holy 
bonds  of  wedlock,  the  following  persons,  to-wit:  Her- 
bert Barclay,  Esquire,  and  Grace  Bellassys,  spinster, 
in  the  presence  of  the  undersigned." 

"  Nothing  could  be  better,"  said  I. 

"Now,  gentlemen  and  ladies,"  said  the  captain,  "if 
you  will  please  sign  your  names." 

This  was  done,  and  the  document  handed  to  me. 
I  pocketed  it  with  a  clear  sense  of  its  value — as  regards, 
I  mean,  the  effect  I  might  hope  it  would  produce  on 
Lady  Amelia  Roscoe.  Captain  Parsons  and  the  others 
then  shook  hands  with  us,  the  two  ladies  kissing  Grace, 
who,  poor  child,  looked  exceedingly  frightened  and 
pale. 

"What's  the  French  word  for  breakfast?"  asked 
Captain  Parsons. 

"  Dejewner,  sir,"  answered  McCosh. 

Parsons  bent  his  ear  with  a  frown.  "  You're  giving 
me  the  Scotch  for  it,  I  believe,"  cried  he. 

"  It's  dejetiner)  I  think,"  said  I,  scarce  able  to  speak 
for  laughing. 

"Ay,  that'll  be  it,"  cried  the  captain.  "Well,  as 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Barclay  don't  relish  the  notion  of  a 
public  degener,  we  must  drink  their  healths  in  a  bottle 
of  champagne." 


152  A    MARRIAGE    AT   SEA. 

He  put  his  head  out  of  the  cabin,  and  called  to 
the  steward,  who  brought  the  wine,  and  for  hard  upon 
half  an  hour,  my  poor  darling  and  I  had  to  listen  to 
speeches  from  old  Parsons  and  the  lawyer.  Even 
McCosh  must  talk.  In  slow  and  rugged  accents  he 
invited  us  to  consider  how  fortunate  we  were  in  having 
fallen  into  the  hands  of  Captain  Parsons.  Had  he  been 
master  of  the  Carthusian,  there  could  have  been  no 
marriage,  for  he  would  not  have  known  what  to  do. 
He  had  received  a  valuable  professional  hint  that 
morning,  and  he  begged  to  thank  Captain  Parsons  for 
allowing  him  to  be  present  on  so  interesting  an  occa- 
sion. 

This  said,  the  proceedings  ended.  Mrs.  Barstow, 
passing  Grace's  hand  under  her  arm,  carried  her  off  to 
her  cabin,  and  I,  accepting  a  cigar  from  the  captain's 
box,  went  on  deck  to  smoke  it,  and  to  see  if  there  was 
anything  in  sight  likely  to  carry  us  home. 

Married!  Could  I  believe  it?  If  so — if  I  was  in- 
deed a  wedded  man — then  I  suppose  never  in  the 
annals  of  love-making  could  anything  stranger  have 
happened  than  that  a  young  couple  eloping  from  a 
French  port  should  be  blown  out  into  the  ocean  and 
there  united,  not  by  a  priest,  but  by  a  merchant  skipper. 
And  supposing  the  marriage  to  be  valid,  as  Mr.  Hig- 
ginson,  after  due  deliberation,  had  declared  such 
ocean  wedding  ceremonies  as  this  to  be,  and  suppos- 
ing when  we  arrived  ashore,  Lady  Amelia  Roscoe, 
despite  Grace's  and  my  association,  and  the  ceremony 
which  had  just  ended,  should  continue  to  withhold  her 
sanction,  thereby  rendering  it  impossible  for  my  cousin 


A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA.  153 

to  marry  us,  might  not  an  exceedingly  fine  point  arise 
— something  to  put  the  wits  of  the  lawyers  to  their 
trumps  in  the  case  of  her  ladyship  or  me  going  to 
them?  I  mean  this:  seeing  that  our  marriage  took 
place  at  sea,  seeing  moreover  that  we  were  in  a  manner 
urged — or,  as  I  might  choose  to  put  it,  compelled — by 
Captain  Parsons  to  marry,  he  assuming,  as  master  of 
the  ship,  the  position  of  guardian  to  the  girl;  and  as 
her  guardian,  exhorting  and  hurrying  us  to  this  union 
for  her  sake — would  not  the  question  of  Lady  Amelia 
Roscoe's  consent  be  set  aside,  whether  on  the  grounds 
of  the  peculiarity  of  our  situation,  or  because  it  was 
impossible  for  us  to  communicate  with  her,  or  because 
the  commander  of  the  ship,  a  person  in  whom  is  vested 
the  most  despotic  powers,  politely,  hospitably,  but 
substantially  too,  ordered  us  to  be  married  ?  I  can  not 
put  the  point  as  a  lawyer  would,  but  I  trust  I  make 
intelligible  the  thoughts  which  occupied  my  mind  as  I 
stood  on  the  deck  of  the  Carthusian,  after  quitting  the 
captain's  cabin. 

About  twenty  minutes  later  Grace  arrived,  accom- 
panied by  Mrs.  Barstow.  My  darling  did  not  imme- 
diately see  me,  and  I  noticed  the  eager  way  in  which 
she  stood  for  some  moments  scanning  the  bright  and 
leaping  scene  of  ocean.  The  passengers  raised  their 
hats  to  her;  one  or  two  ladies  approached  and  seemed 
to  congratulate  her;  she  then  saw  me,  and  in  a  mo- 
ment was  at  my  side. 

"  How  long  is  this  to  last,  Herbert? " 

"  At  any  hour  something  may  heave  in  sight,  dear- 
est." 


154  A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA. 

"  It  distresses  me  to  be  looked  at.  And  yet  it  is 
miserable  to  be  locked  up  in  Mrs.  Barstow's  cabin, 
where  I  am  unable  to  be  with  you." 

"  Do  not  mind  being  looked  at.  Everybody  is  very 
kind,  Grace ;  so  sweet  as  you  are,  too — who  can  help 
looking  at  you?  Despite  your  embarrassment,  let 
me  tell  you  that  I  am  very  well  pleased  with  what  has 
happened."  And  I  repeated  to  her  what  had  been 
passing  in  my  mind. 

But  she  was  too  nervoui,  perhaps  too  young,  to 
understand.  She  had  left  her  gloves  in  the  yacht,  her 
hands  were  bare,  and  her  fine  eyes  rested  on  the  wed- 
ding-ring upon  her  finger. 

"  Must  I  go  on  wearing  this,  Herbert  ?  " 

"  Oh,  yes,  my  own — certainly  while  you  are  here. 
What  would  Captain  Parsons  say,  what  would  every- 
body think,  if  you  removed  it  ?  " 

"But  I  am  not  your  wife,"  she  exclaimed,  with  a 
pout,  softly  beating  the  deck  with  her  foot,  "and  this 
ring  is  unreal;  it  signifies  nothing — " 

I  interrupted  her.  "  I  am  not  so  sure  that  you  are 
not  my  wife,"  said  I.  She  shot  a  look  at  me  out  of 
her  eyes,  which  were  large  with  alarm  and  confusion. 
"  At  all  events,  I  believe  I  am  your  husband;  and  sure- 
ly, my  precious,  you  must  hope  that  I  am.  But 
whether  or  not,  pray  go  on  wearing  that  ring.  You 
can  put  it  off  when  we  get  to  Penzance,  and  I  will  slip 
it  on  again  when  we  stand  before  my  cousin." 

By  this  time  the  news  of  our  having  been  married 
had  traveled  forward,  conveyed  to  the  Jacks  and  to 
the  steerage  passengers,  as  I  took  it,  by  one  of  the 


A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA.  155 

stewards.  It  was  the  sailors'  dinner-hour,  and  I  could 
see  twenty  of  them  on  the  forecastle  staring  aft  at  us 
as  one  man,  while  every  time  we  advanced  to  the  edge 
of  the  poop  where  the  rail  protected  the  deck,  there 
was  a  universal  upturning  of  bearded,  rough  faces, 
with  much  pointing  and  nodding  of  the  women. 

After  all  this  the  luncheon-table  was  something  of 
a  relief,  despite  the  rows  of  people  at  it. 

Nothing  was  said  about  the  marriage.  The  privacy 
of  the  affair  lay  as  a  sort  of  obligation  of  silence  upon 
the  kindly  natured  passengers,  and  though,  as  I  have 
said,  they  could  not  keep  their  eyes  off  us,  their  con- 
versation was  studiedly  remote  from  the  one  topic 
about  which  we  were  all  thinking.  Lunch  was  almost 
ended  when  I  spied  the  second  mate  peering  down  at 
us  through  the  glass  of  the  skylight,  and  in  a  few 
minutes  he  descended  the  cabin  ladder,  and  said  some- 
thing in  a  low  voice  to  the  captain. 

"  By  George,  Grace,"  said  I,  grasping  her  hand  as 
it  lay  on  her  lap,  and  whipping  out  with  the  notion 
put  into  me  by  a  look  I  caught  from  the  captain,  "  I 
believe  the  second  mate  has  come  down  to  report  a 
ship  in  sight." 

She  started,  and  turned  eagerly  in  the  direction  of 
the  captain,  who  had  quickly  given  the  mate  his  orders, 
for  already  the  man  had  returned  on  deck. 

Mrs.  Barstow,  seated  close  to  the  captain,  nodded 
at  us,  and  Parsons  himself  sung  out  quietly  down  the 
table : 

"  I  believe,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Barclay,  this  will  be  your 
last  meal  aboard  the  Carthusian" 


' 

156  A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA. 

I  sprung  with  excitement  to  my  feet. 

"Anything  in  sight,  captain?" 

"Ay,  a  steamer — apparently  a  yacht.  Plenty  of 
time,"  added  he,  nevertheless  rising  leisurely  as  he 
spoke,  on  which  all  the  passengers  broke  from  the 
table — so  speedily  dull  grows  the  sea-life,  so  quickly 
do  people  learn  how  to  make  much  of  the  most  trivial 
incidents  upon  the  ocean — and  in  a  few  moments  we 
were  all  on  deck. 

"Yes,  by  Jove,  Grace,  there  she  is,  sure  enough!" 
cried  I,  standing  at  the  side  with  my  darling,  and 
pointing  forward,  where,  still  some  miles  distant,  a 
point  or  two  on  the  starboard  bow,  was  a  steamer, 
showing  very  small  indeed  at  the  extremity  of  the 
long,  far-reaching  line  of  smoke  that  was  pouring  from 
her.  A  passenger  handed  me  a  telescope.  I  leveled 
it,  and  then  clearly  distinguished  a  yacht-like  structure, 
with  a  yellow  funnel,  apparently  schooner-rigged,  with 
a  sort  of  sparkling  about  her  hull,  whether  from  gilt  or 
brass  or  glass,  that  instantly  suggested  the  pleasure- 
vessel.  Turning  my  face  aft,  I  saw  the  second  mate 
and  an  apprentice  or  midshipman  in  buttons,  in  the 
act  of  hoisting  a  string  of  colors  to  the  gaff-end.  The 
flags  soared  in  a  graceful  semi-circle,  and  the  whole 
ship  looked  brave  in  a  breath  with  the  pulling  of  the 
many-dyed  bunting,  each  flag  delicate  as  gossamer 
against  the  blue  of  the  sky,  and  the  whole  show  of  the 
deepest  interest  as  the  language  of  the  sea — as  the  ship's 
own  voice. 

I  approached  the  captain  with  Grace's  hand  under 
my  arm. 


A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA.  157 

"  She  has  her  answering  pennant  flying,"  he  ex- 
claimed, letting  fall  his  glass  to  accost  me,  and  he 
called  to  the  second  mate  to  haul  down  our  signal. 
"I  believe  she  will  receive  you,  Mr.  Barclay." 

"Where  do  you  think  she's  bound,  captain?" 

"  I  should  say  undoubtedly  heading  for  the  English 
Channel,"  he  answered. 

"  Captain  Parsons,  what  can  I  say  that  will  in  any 
measure  express  my  gratitude  to  you  ?" 

"  What  I've  done  has  given  me  pleasure ;  and  I 
hope  that  you'll  both  live  long,  and  that  neither  of 
you  by  a  single  look  or  word  will  ever  cause  the  other 
to  regret  that  you  fell  into  the  hands  of  Captain 
Parsons,  of  the  good  ship  Carthusian." 

Grace  gave  him  a  sweet  smile.  Now  that  it  seemed 
we  were  about  to  leave  this  ship,  she  could  gaze  at  him 
without  alarm.  He  broke  from  us  to  deliver  an  order 
to  the  second  mate,  who  re-echoed  his  command  in  a 
loud  shout.  In  a  moment  a  number  of  sailors  came 
racing  aft,  and  fell  to  rounding-in,  as  it  is  called,  upon 
the  main  and  main-topsail  braces,  with  loud  and  hearty 
songs  which  were  re-echoed  out  of  the  white  hollows 
aloft  and  combined  with  the  splashing  noise  of  waters 
and  the  small  music  of  the  wind  in  the  rigging  into  a 
true  ocean  concert  for  the  ear.  The  machinery  of  the 
braces  brought  the  sails  on  the  main  to  the  wind ;  the 
ship's  way  was  almost  immediately  arrested,  and  she 
lay  quietly  sinking  and  rising,  with  a  sort  of  hush  of 
expectation  along  her  decks  which  nothing  disturbed 
save  the  odd  farm-yard-like  sounds  of  the  live-stock 
somewhere  forward. 


158  A   MARRIAGE    AT   SEA. 

The  steamer  was  now  rapidly  approaching  us,  and 
by  this  time,  without  the  aid  of  a  glass,  I  made  her  out 
to  be  a  fine,  screw  yacht  of  some  three  hundred  and 
fifty  tons,  painted  black,  with  a  yellow  funnel  forward 
of  amidships  which  gave  her  the  look  of  a  gun-boat. 
She  had  a  chart-house,  or  some  such  structure,  near 
her  bridge,  that  was  very  liberally  glazed,  and  blinding 
flashes  leaped  from  the  panes  of  glass  as  she  rolled  to 
and  from  the  sun,  as  though  she  were  quickly  firing 
cannon  charged  with  soundless  and  smokeless  gun- 
powder. A  figure  paced  the  filament  of  bridge  that 
was  stretched  before  her  funnel.  He  wore  a  gold  band 
round  his  hat,  and  brass  buttons  on  his  coat.  Two  or 
three  men  leaned  over  the  head-rail,  viewing  us  as  they 
approached,  but  her  quarter-deck  was  deserted.  I 
could  find  no  hint  of  female  apparel  or  the  blue  serge 
of  the  yachtsman. 

Old  Parsons,  taking  his  stand  at  the  rail  clear  of 
the  crowd,  waited  until  the  yacht  floated  abreast, 
where,  with  a  few  reverse  revolutions  of  her  propeller, 
she  came  to  a  stand  within  easy  talking-distance,  as 
handsome  and  finished  a  model  as  ever  I  had  seen 
afloat. 

"Ho,  the  yacht  ahey!"  shouted  Captain  Par- 
sons. 

"  Halloo !  "  responded  the  glittering  figure  from  the 
bridge,  manifestly  the  yacht's  skipper. 

"What  yacht  is  that?" 

"The  Mermaid." 

"  Where  are  you  from,  and  where  are  you  bound 
to?" 


A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA.  159 

"From  Madeira  to  Southampton,"  came  back  the 
response. 

"That  will  do,  Grace,"  cried  I,  joyfully. 

"  We  took  a  lady  and  a  gentleman  off  their  yacht, 
the  Spitfire,  that  we  found  in  a  leaky  condition,  yes- 
terday," shouted  Parsons,  "  having  been  dismasted  in 
a  gale  and  blown  out  of  the  Channel.  We  have  them 
aboard.  Will  you  receive  them  and  set  them  ashore?  " 

"How  many  more  besides  them,  sir?  "  bawled  the 
master  of  the  yacht. 

"  No  more — them  two  only;  "  and  Parsons  pointed 
to  Grace  and  me,  who  stood  conspicuously  near  the 
main  rigging. 

"Ay,  ay,  sir;  we'll  receive  'em.  Will  you  send 
your  boat?  " 

Captain  Parsons  flourished  his  hand  in  token  of 
acquiescence;  but  he  stood  near  enough  to  enable  me 
to  catch  a  few  growling  sentences  referring  to  the 
laziness  of  yachtsmen,  which  he  hove  at  the  twinkling 
figure  through  his  teeth  in  language  which  certainly 
did  not  accord  with  his  priestly  tendencies.  There 
was  no  luggage  to  pack,  no  parcels  to  hunt  for,  noth- 
ing for  me  to  do  but  leave  Grace  a  minute  while  I 
rushed  below  to  fee  the  stewards.  So  much  confusion 
attended  our  transference  that  my  recollection  of 
what  took  place  is  vague.  I  remember  that  the  second 
mate  was  incessantly  shouting  out  orders  until  one  of 
the  ship's  quarter-boats  with  several  men  in  her  had 
been  fairly  lowered  to  the  water's  edge  and  brought  to 
the  gangway,  over  which  some  steps  had  been  thrown. 
I  also  remember  once  again  shaking  Captain  Parsons 


160  A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA. 

most  cordially  by  the  hand,  thanking  him  effusively 
for  his  kindness,  and  wishing  him  and  his  ship  all 
possible  good-luck  under  the  heavens.  The  passen- 
gers crowded  round  us  and  wished  us  good-bye,  and 
I  saw  Mrs,  Barstow  slip  a  little  parcel  into  Grace's 
hand  and  whisper  a  few  words,  whereupon  they  kissed 
each  other  with  the  warmth  of  old  friends. 

Mr.  McCosh  stood  at  the  gangway,  and  I  asked 
him  to  distribute  the  twenty-pound  bank-note  I 
handed  to  him  among  the  crew  of  the  boat  that  had 
taken  us  from  the  Spitfire.  I  further  requested  that 
the  second  mate,  taking  his  proportion,  which  I  left 
entirely  to  the  discretion  of  Mr.  McCosh,  would  pur- 
chase some  trifle  of  pin  or  ring  by  which  to  remem- 
ber us. 

Grace  was  then  handed  into  the  boat — a  ticklish 
business  to  the  eyes  of  a  landsman,  but  performed 
with  amazing  dispatch  and  ease  by  the  rough  seamen 
who  passed  her  over  and  received  her.  I  followed, 
watching  my  chance,  and  in  a  few  moments  the  oars 
were  out,  and  the  boat  making  for  the  yacht  that  lay 
within  musket-shot. 

We  were  received  by  the  captain  of  the  yacht,  a 
fellow  with  a  face  that  reminded  me  somewhat  of  Cau- 
del's,  of  a  countenance  and  bearing  much  too  sailorly 
to  be  rendered  ridiculous  by  his  lirery  of  gold  band 
and  buttons.  But  before  I  could  address  him,  old 
Parsons  hailed  to  give  him  the  name  of  the  Carthusian, 
and  to  request  him  to  report  the  ship,  and  he  ran  on  to 
the  bridge  to  answer.  I  could  look  at  nothing  just 
then  but  the  ship.  Of  all  sea-pieces  I  do  not  remem- 


A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA.  161 

her  the  like  of  that  for  beauty.  We  were  to  leeward  of 
her,  and  she  showed  us  the  milk-white  bosoms  of  her 
sails  that  would  flash  out  in  silver  brilliance  to  the 
sunlight  through  sheer  force  of  the  contrast  of  the 
vivid  red  of  her  water-line  as  it  was  lifted  out  of  the 
yeast  and  then  plunged  into  it  again  by  the  rolling  of 
the  craft.  Large  soft  clouds  resembling  puffs  of  steam 
sailed  over  her  waving  mast-heads,  where  a  gilt  vane 
glowed  like  a  streak  of  fire  against  the  blue  of  the  sky 
between  the  clouds. 


11 


X. 

But  the  boat  had  now  gained  the  tall  fabric's  side; 
the  tackles  had  been  hdoked  into  her,  and  even  while 
she  was  soaring  to  the  davits  the  great  main-topsail  of 
the  Carthusian  came  slowly  round,  and  the  sails  to  the 
royal  filled.  At  the  same  moment  I  was  sensible  of  a 
pulsation  in  the  deck  on  which  we  were  standing;  the 
engines  had  been  started ;  and  in  a  few  beats  of  the 
heart  the  Carthusian  was  on  our  quarter,  breaking  the 
sea  under  her  bow  as  the  long,  slender,  metal  hull 
leaned  to  the  weight  of  the  high  and  swelling  canvas. 

I  pulled  off  my  hat  and  flourished  it;  Grace  waved 
her  handkerchief.  A  hearty  cheer  swept  down  to  us, 
not  only  from  the  passengers  assembled  on  the  poop, 
but  also  from  the  crowds  who  watched  us  from  the 
forecastle  and  from  the  line  of  the  bulwark-rails,  and 
for  some  minutes  every  figure  was  in  motion  as  the 
people  gesticulated  their  farewells  to  us. 

"  Act  the  fourth,"  said  I,  bringing  my  eyes  to  Grace's 
face.  "  One  more  act,  and  then  over  goes  the  show, 
as  the  cockneys  say." 

"Aren't  you  glad  to  be  here,  Herbert?  " 

"  I  could  kneel,  my  darling.  But  how  good  those 
people  are !  How  well  they  have  behaved  !  Such 
utter  strangers  as  we  were  to  them !  What  did  Mrs. 
Barstow  give  you  ?  " 

(162) 


A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA.  163 

She  put  her  hand  in  her  pocket,  opened  a  little 
parcel,  and  produced  an  Indian  bracelet,  a  wonder- 
fully cunning  piece  of  work  in  gold. 

"  Upon  my  word!  "  cried  I. 

"  How  kind  of  her ! "  exclaimed  Grace,  with  her 
eyes  sparkling,  though  I  seemed  to  catch  a  faint  note 
of  tears  in  her  voice.  "  I  shall  always  remember  dear 
Mrs.  Barstow. " 

"And  what  yacht  is  this?  "  said  I,  casting  my  eyes 
round.  "A  beautiful  little  ship,  indeed.  How  exqui- 
sitely white  these  planks !  What  money,  by  George,  in 
everything  the  eye  rests  upon  !  " 

The  master,  who  had  remained  on  the  bridge  to 
start  the  yacht,  now  approached.  He  saluted  us  with 
the  respectful  air  of  a  man  used  to  fine  company,  but 
instantly  observed  on  his  glancing  at  Grace  that  his 
eye  rested  upon  her  wedding-ring. 

"  I  presume  you  are  the  captain?  "  said  I. 

"  I  am,  sir." 

"  Pray  what  name  ?  " 

"John  Verrion,  sir." 

"Well,  Captain  Verrion,  I  must  first  of  all  thank 
you  heartily  for  receiving  us.  Is  the  owner  of  this 
vessel  aboard  ? " 

"  No,  sir.     She  belongs  to  the  Earl  of .     His 

lordship's  been  left  at  Madeira.  He  changed  his  mind 
and  stopped  at  Madeira — him  and  the  countess,  and  a 
party  of  three  that  was  along  with  them — and  sent  the 
yacht  home." 

"  I  have  not  the  honor  of  his  lordship's  acquaint- 
ance." said  I;  "but  I  think,  Grace,"  I  remarked,  turn- 


164  A    MARRIAGE    AT   SEA. 

ing  toward  her,  not  choosing  to  speak  of  her  as  "  this 
lady  "  while  she  wore  the  wedding-ring,  nor  to  call  her 
*'  my  wife,"  either,  "  that  he  is  a  distant  connection  of 
your  aunt,  Lady  Amelia  Roscoe." 

"  I  don't  know,  Herbert,"  she  answered. 

"Any  way,"  said  I,  "it  is  a  great  privilege  to  be 
received  by  such  a  vessel  as  this." 

"  His  lordship  'ud  wish  me  to  do  everything  that's 
right,  sir,"  said  Captain  Verrion.  "  I'll  have  a  cabin 
got  ready  for  you;  but  as  to  meals — "  he  paused,  and 
added,  awkwardly,  "  I'm  afraid  there's  nothin'  aboard 
but  plain  yachting  fare,  sir." 

"  When  do  you  hope  to  reach  Southampton,  cap- 
tain?" 

"  Monday  afternoon,  sir." 

"A  little  more  than  two  days!"  I  exclaimed. 
"You  must  be  a  pretty  fast  boat." 

He  smiled,  and  said,  "  What  might  be  the  port  you 
want  to  get  at,  sir?  Southampton  may  be  too  high 
up  for  you." 

"  Our  destination  was  Penzance,"  said  I,  "  but  any 
port  that  is  in  England  will  do." 

"  Oh,"  said  he,  "  there  ought  to  be  no  difficulty  in 
putting  you  ashore  at  Penzance."  He  then  asked  if 
we  would  like  to  step  below,  and  forthwith  conducted 
us  into  a  large,  roomy,  elegantly — indeed  sumptu- 
ously— furnished  cabin,  as  breezy  as  a  drawing-room, 
and  aromatic  with  the  smell  of  plantains  or  bananas 
hung  up  somewhere  near,  though  out  of  sight. 

"  This  should  suit  you,  Grace,"  said  I. 

"  Is  it  not  heavenly? "  she  cried. 


A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA.  165 

The  captain  stood  by  with  a  pleased  countenance, 
observing  us. 

"I  dunno  if  I'm  right  in  calling  you  sir?"  he  ex- 
claimed. "  I  didn't  rightly  catch  your  name." 

"  My  name  is  Mr.  Herbert  Barclay." 

"  Thank  ye,  sir.  I  was  going  to  say  that  if  you  and 
her  ladyship — " 

"No,  not  her  ladyship,"  I  interrupted,  guessing 
that,  having  heard  me  pronounce  the  name  of  Lady 
Amelia  Roscoe,  he  was  confounding  Grace  with 
her. 

"  I  was  going  to  say,  sir,"  he  proceeded,  "  that 
you're  welcome  to  any  of  the  sleeping-berths  you  may 
have  a  mind  to." 

The  berths  were  aft — mere  boxes,  each  with  a  little 
bunk,  but  all  fitted  so  as  to  correspond  in  point  of 
costliness  with  the  furniture  of  the  living  or  state- 
room. We  chose  the  two  foremost  berths,  as  being 
the  furthest  of  the  sleeping-places  from  the  screw; 
and,  this  matter  being  ended,  and  after  declining  Cap- 
tain Verrion's  very  civil  offer  of  refreshments,  we 
returned  to  the  deck. 

The  steamer  was  thrashing  through  it  at  an  exhila- 
rating speed.  The  long  blue  Atlantic  surge  came 
brimming  and  frothing  to  her  quarter,  giving  her  a 
lift  at  times  that  set  the  propeller  racing;  but  the 
clean-edged,  frost-like  band  of  wake  streamed  far 
astern,  where,  in  the  liquid  blue  of  the  afternoon,  that 
way  hung  the  star-colored  cloths  of  the  Carthusian,  a 
leaning  shaft  resembling  a  spire  of  ice. 

We  chatted  as  we  walked  the  deck.    We  had  the 


186  A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA. 

afterpart  of  the  little  ship  entirely  to  ourselves;  the 
captain  came  and  went,  but  never  offered  to  approach. 
In  fact,  it  was  like  being  aboard  one's  own  vessel;  and 
now  that  we  were  fairly  going  home,  being  driven 
toward  the  English  Channel  at  a  steady  pace  of  some 
twelve  Or  thirteen  knots  in  the  hour  by  the  steady, 
resistless  thrust  of  the  propeller,  we  could  find  heart 
to  abandon  ourselves  to  every  delightful  sensation 
born  of  the  sweeping  passage  of  the  beautiful  steamer, 
ttt  every  emotion  inspired  by  each  other's  society,  and 
by  the  free,  boundless,  noble  prospect  of  dark-blue 
waters  that  was  spread  around  us. 

We  were  uninterrupted  till  five  o'clock.  The 
captain  then  advanced,  and,  saluting  us  with  as  much 
respect  as  if  we  had  been  the  earl  and  his  lady,  in- 
quired if  we  would  have  tea  served  in  the  cabin.  I 
answered  that  we  should  be  very  glad  of  a  cup  of  tea, 
but  that  he  was  to  give  himself  no  trouble ;  the  sim- 
plest fare  he  could  put  before  us  we  should  feel  as 
grateful  for  as  though  he  sat  us  down  to  a  Mansion 
House  dinner. 

He  said  that  the  steward  had  been  left  ashore  at 
Madeira,  but  that  a  sailor  who  knew  what  to  do  as  a 
waiter  Would  attend  upon  us. 

"Who  would  suppose,  Grace,"  said  I,  when  we 
were  alone,  "  that  the  ocean  was  so  hospitable  ? 
Figure  us  finding  ourselves  ashore  in  such  a  condition 
as  was  our  lot  when  we  thought  the  Spitfire  sinking 
under  tls — irt  Other  words,  in  want.  At  how  many 
houses  might  we  have  knocked  without  getting  shelter 
Or  the  offer  of  a  meal !  This  is  like  being  made  wel- 


A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA.  167 

come  in  Grosvenor  Square ;  and  you  may  compare  the 
Carthusian  to  a  fine  mansion  in  Bayswater." 

The  captain  contrived  for  "  tea,"  as  he  called  it,  as 
excellent  a  meal  as  we  could  have  wished  for — white 
biscuit,  good  butter,  bananas,  a  piece  of  virgin  corned 
beef,  and  preserved  milk  to  put  into  our  tea.  What 
better  fare  could  one  ask  for?  I  had  a  pipe  and 
tobacco  with  me,  and  as  I  walked  the  deck  in  the  even- 
ing with  my  darling  I  had  never  felt  happier. 

It  was  a  rich  autumn  evening ;  the  wind  had  slack- 
ened and  was  now  a  light  air,  and  we  lingered  on  deck 
long  after  the  light  had  faded  in  the  western  sky,  leav- 
ing the  still  young  moon  shining  brightly  over  the  sea, 
across  whose  dark,  wrinkled,  softly  heaving  surface  ran 
the  wake  of  the  speeding  yacht  in  a  line  like  a  pathway 
traversing  a  boundless  moor. 

I  slept  as  soundly  as  one  who  sleeps  to  wake  no 
more;  but  on  going  on  deck  some  little  while  before 
the  breakfast  was  served,  I  was  grievously  disappointed 
to  find  a  wet  day.  There  was  very  little  wind,  but  the 
sky  was  one  dismal  surface  of  leaden  cloud,  from  which 
the  rain  was  falling  almost  perpendicularly,  with  a  sort 
of  obstinacy  of  descent  that  was  full  of  the  menace  of 
a  tardy  abatement.  Fortunately,  the  horizon  lay  well 
open ;  one  could  see  some  miles,  and  the  steamer  was 
washing  along  at  her  old  pace,  a  full  thirteen,  with  a 
nearly  becalmed  collier,  ragged,  wet,  and  staggering, 
all  patches  and  bentinck-boom,  dissolving  rapidly  into 
the  weather  over  the  starboard  quarter. 

It  was  some  time  after  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon 
that  on  a  sudden  the  engines  were  "  slowed  down,"  at 


168  A    MARRIAGE    AT   SEA. 

I  believe  the  term  is,  and  a  minute  later  the  revolu- 
tions of  the  propeller  ceased.  There  is  always  some- 
thing startling  in  the  abrupt  cessation  of  the  pulsing  of 
the  screw  in  a  steamer  at  sea.  One  gets  so  used  to 
the  noise  of  the  engines,  to  the  vibratory  sensation 
communicated  in  a  sort  of  tingling  throughout  the 
frame  of  the  vessel  by  the  thrashing  blades,  that  the 
suspension  of  the  familiar  sound  falls  like  a  fearful 
hush  upon  the  ear.  Grace,  who  had  been  dozing, 
opened  her  eyes. 

"What  can  the  matter  be  ?"  cried  I. 

As  I  spoke  I  heard  a  voice,  apparently  aboard  the 
yacht,  hailing.  I  pulled  on  my  cap,  turned  up  the 
collar  of  my  coat,  and  ran  on  deck,  expecting  to  find 
the  yacht  in  the  heart  of  a  thickness  of  rain  and  fog, 
with  some  big  shadow  of  a  ship  looming  within  biscuit- 
toss.  It  was  raining  steadily,  but  the  sea  was  not 
more  shrouded  than  it  had  been  at  any  other  hour  of 
the  day,  saving,  perhaps,  that  something  of  the  com- 
plexion of  the  evening,  which  was  not  far  off,  lay  som- 
ber in  the  wet  atmosphere.  I  ran  to  the  side,  and  saw 
at  a  distance  of  the  length  of  the  steam  yacht — my  own 
hapless  little  dandy,  the  Spitfire!  Her  main-mast  was 
wholly  gone,  yet  I  knew  her  at  once.  There  she  lay, 
looking  far  more  miserably  wrecked  than  when  I  had 
left  her,  lifting  and  falling  forlornly  upon  the  small 
swell,  her  poor  little  pump  going,  plied,  as  I  instantly 
perceived,  by  the  boy,  Bobby  Allett. 

I  had  sometimes  thought  of  her  as  in  harbor,  and 
sometimes  as  at  the  bottom  of  the  sea,  but  never,  some- 
how, as  still  washing  about,  helpless  and  sodden,  with 


A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA.  169 

a  gushing  scupper  and  a  leaky  bottom.  Caudel — poor 
old  Caudel — stood  at  the  rail,  shouting  to  Captain 
Verrion,  who  was  singing  out  to  him  from  the  bridge. 

I  rushed  forward,  bawling  to  Captain  Verrion, 
"That's  the  Spitfire!  that's  my  yacht!"  and  then  at 
the  top  of  my  voice  I  shouted  across  the  space  of  water 
between  the  two  vessels,  "  Ho,  Caudel !  where  are  the 
rest  of  you,  Caudel?  For  God's  sake,  launch  your 
boat  and  come  aboard !  " 

He  stood  staring  at  me,  dropping  his  head  first  on 
one  side,  then  on  the  other,  doubting  the  evidence  of 
his  sight,  and  reminding  one  of  the  ghost  in  "  Ham- 
let : "  "  It  lifted  up  its  head  and  did  address  itself  to 
motion  as  it  would  speak." 

Astonishment  appeared  to  bereave  him  of  speech. 
For  some  moments  he  could  do  nothing  but  stare; 
then  up  went  both  hands  with  a  gesture  that  was  elo- 
quent of — "  Well,  I'm  blowcd!  "  "  Come  aboard,  Cau- 
del !  come  aboard !  "  I  roared,  for  the  little  dandy  still 
had  her  dinghy,  and  I  did  not  wish  to  put  Captain 
Verrion  to  the  trouble  of  fetching  the  two  fellows. 

With  the  motions  and  air  of  a  man  dumfounded 
or  under  the  influence  of  drink,  Caudel  addressed  the 
lad,  who  dropped  the  pump-handle,  and  between  them 
they  launched  the  boat,  smack-fashion.  Caudel  then 
sprung  into  her  with  an  oar  and  sculled  across  to  us. 
He  came  floundering  over  the  side,  and  yet  again 
stood  staring  at  me  as  though  discrediting  his  senses. 
The  color  appeared  to  have  been  washed  out  of  his 
face  by  wet ;  his  oil-skins  had  surrendered  their  water- 
proof properties,  and  they  clung  to  his  frame  as  soaked 


17Q  A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA. 

rags  would.  His  boots  were  full  of  water,  and  his  eywu 
resembled  pieces  of  jelly-fish  fixed  on  either  side  of  his 
nose.  I  grasped  his  hand. 

"Of  all  astonishing  meetings,  Caudel!  But  how  is 
it  that  you  are  here  ?  What  has  become  of  the  main- 
mast? Where  are  the  rest  of  the  men?  Never  did  a 
man  look  more  shipwrecked  than  you.  Are  you 
thirsty?  Are  you  starving?  " 

By  this  time  Captain  Verrion  had  joined  us,  and  a 
knot  of  the  steamer's  crew  stood  on  the  forecastle, 
looking  first  at  the  Spitfire,  then  at  Caudel,  scarcely,  I 
dare  say,  knowing  as  yet  whether  to  feel  amused  or 
amazed  at  this  singular  meeting.  Caudel  had  the  slow, 
laborious  mind  of  the  merchant  sailor.  He  continued 
for  some  moments  to  gaze  heavily  and  damply  about 
him,  then  said : 

"Bummed  if  this  ain't  wonderful,  too ! — to  find  you 
here,  sir!  And  your  young  lady,  Mr.  Barclay?  " 

"Safe  and  well  in  the  cabin,"  I  answered.  "But 
where  are  the  others,  Caudel  ?  " 

"I'll  spin  you  the  yarn  in  a  jiffy,  sir,"  he  answered, 
with  a  countenance  that  indicated  a  gradual  re-collec- 
tion of  his  wits.  "  Arter  you  left  us  we  got  some  sail 
upon  the  yacht;  but  just  about  sundown  it  breezed  up 
in  a  bit  of  a  puff,  and  the  rest  of  the  mast  went  over- 
board, a  few  inches  above  the  deck.  Well,  there  we 
lay.  There  was  nothin'  to  be  done.  Job  Crew  he 
says  to  me,  '  What's  next  ?  '  says  he.  '  What  but  a  tow 
home  ?  '  says  I.  '  It'll  have  to  be  that,'  says  he,  '  and 
pretty  quick,  too,'  he  says,  'for  I've  now  had  nigh 
enough  of  this  galliwanting.'  Job  was  a-wanting  in 


A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA.  171 

sperrit,  Mr.  Barclay.  I  own  I  was  surprised  to  hear 
him,  but  I  says  nothin',  and  Dick  Files  he  says  nothin,' 
and  neither  do  Jim  Foster.  Well,  at  day-break  a  little 
bark  bound  to  the  river  Thames  comes  along  and 
hails  us.  I  asked  her  to  give  me  a  tow,  that  I  might 
have  a  chance  of  falling  in  with  a  tug.  The  master 
shook  his  head,  and  sings  out  that  he'd  take  us 
aboard,  but  we  wasn't  to  talk  of  towing-  On  this  Job 
says,  'Here  goes  for  my  clothes.'  Jim  follows  him. 
Dick  says  to  me, '  What  are  you  going  to  do? '  '  Stick 
to  the  yacht,'  says  I.  He  was  beginning  to  argue. 
4  No  good  a-talking,'  says  I ; '  here  I  am,  and  here  I 
stops.'  Wouldn't  it  have  been  a  blooming  shame,"  he 
added,  turning  slowly  to  Captain  Verrion,  "to  have 
deserted  that  there  dandy,  when  nothin's  wanted  but 
an  occasional  spell  at  the  pump,  and  when  something 
was  bound  to  come  along  presently  to  give  us  a  drag?  " 

Captain  Verrion  nodded,  with  a  little  hint  of  patron- 
age, I  thought,  in  his  appreciative  reception  of  Cau- 
del's  views. 

"  Well,  to  make  an  end  to  the  yarn,  Mr.  Barclay," 
continued  Caudel,  "  them  three  men  went  aboard  the 
bark,  taking  their  clothes  with  'em ;  but  when  I  told 
Bobby  to  go,  too,  '  No/  says  he,  '  I'll  stop  and  help  ye 
to  pump,  sir.'  There's  the  making  of  a  proper  English 
sailor,  Mr.  Barclay,  in  that  there  boy,"  he  exclaimed, 
casting  his  eyes  at  the  lad,  who  had  again  addressed 
himself  to  the  pump. 

"  And  here  you've  been  all  day  ?  "  said  I. 

"  All  day,  sir,  and  all  night,  too ;  and  a  dirty  time 
it's  bin." 


1V2  A   MARRIAGE    AT    SEA. 

"Waiting  for  something  to  give  you  a  tow,  with  a 
long  black  night  at  hand?  " 

" Mr.  Barclay,"  said  he,  "I  told  ye  I  should  stick 
to  that  there  little  dandy;  and  I  wouldn't  break  my 
word  for  no  man." 

"You  sha'n't  be  disappointed,"  said  Captain  Ver- 
rion,  bestowing  on  Caudel  a  hearty  nod  of  approval, 
this  time  untinctured  by  condescension.  "Give  ut 
the  end  of  your  tow-rope,  and  we'll  drag  the  dandj 
home  for  ye." 

"  Cap'n,  I  thank  'ee,"  said  Caudel. 

"You  and  the  boy  are  pretty  nigh  worn  out,  1 
allow,"  exclaimed  Captain  Verrion.  "  I'll  put  a  couple 
of  men  aboard  the  Spitfire.  How  often  does  she  want 
pumping  ?  " 

"  'Bout  every  half-hour." 

"You  stay  here,"  said  Captain  Verrion,  looking 
with  something  of  commiseration  at  Caudel,  who,  the 
longer  one  surveyed  him,  the  more  soaked,  ashen,  and 
shipwrecked  one  found  him.  "  I'll  send  for  the  boy, 
and  you  can  both  dry  yourselves  and  get  a  good,  long 
spell  of  rest."  He  left  us  to  give  the  necessary  orders 
to  his  men,  and,  while  the  steamer  launched  her  own 
boat,  I  stood  talking  with  Caudel,  telling  him  of  our 
adventures  aboard  the  Carthusian,  of  our  marriage, 
and  so  forth. 

I  had  got  into  the  shelter  of  the  companion  while  I 
talked,  and  Grace,  hearing  my  voice,  called  to  me  to 
tell  her  why  the  steamer  had  stopped,  and  if  there  was 
anything  wrong. 

"Come  here,  my  darling,"  said  I.    She  approached, 


A    MARRIAGE    AT   SEA.  178 

and  stood  at  the  foot  of  the  steps.  "  We  have  fallen 
in  with  the  Spitfire,  Grace,  and  here  is  Caudel." 

She  uttered  an  exclamation  of  astonishment.  He 
directed  his  oyster-like  eyes  into  the  comparative 
gloom,  and  then,  catching  sight  of  her,  knuckled  his 
forehead,  and  exclaimed,  "Bless  your  sweet  face! 
And  I  am  glad  indeed,  mum,  to  meet  you  and  find 
you  both  well  and  going  home  likewise."  She  came 
up  the  steps  to  give  him  her  hand,  and  I  saw  the  old 
sailor's  face  working  as  he  bent  over  it. 

The  steamer  made  a  short  job  of  the  Spitfire;  but 
a  very  little  maneuvering  with  the  propeller  was  need- 
ful, a  line  connected  the  two  vessels,  the  yacht's  boat 
returned  with  the  boy  Bobby,  leaving  three  of  the 
steamer's  crew  in  the  dandy,  the  engine-room  bell 
sounded,  immediately  was  felt  the  thrilling  of  the 
engines  in  motion,  and  presently  the  Mermaid  was 
ripping  through  it  once  more,  with  the  poor  little 
dismasted  Spitfire  dead  in  her  wake.  I  sent  for  the 
boy,  and  praised  him  warmly  for  his  manly  behavior 
in  sticking  to  Caudel.  Captain  Verrion  then  told 
them  both  to  go  below  and  get  some  hot  tea,  and  put 
on  some  dry  clothing  belonging  to  them  that  had  been 
brought  from  the  dandy. 

"I'm  thinking,  sir,"  said  he,  when  Caudel  and  the 
other  had  left,  "  that  I  can't  do  better  than  run  you 
into  Mount's  Bay.  I  never  was  at  Penzance,  but  I 
believe  there's  a  bit  of  a  harbor  there,  and,  no  doubt,  a 
repairing  shipway,  and  I  understand  that  Penzance 
was  your  destination  all  along." 

I  assured  him  that  he  would  be  adding  immeasur- 


174  A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA. 

ably  to  his  kmdness  by  doing  as  he  proposed;  "but 
as  to  the  Spitfire,"  I  continued,  "I  sha'n't  spend  a 
farthing  upon  her.  My  intention  is  to  sell  her,  and 
divide  what  she  will  fetch  among  those  who  have  pre- 
served her." 

Some  time  about  two  o'clock  on  the  afternoon  of 
Monday,  the  Mermaid,  with  the  Spitfire  in  tow,  was 
steaming  into  Mount's  Bay.  I  stood  with  Grace  on 
my  arm,  looking.  The  land  seemed  as  novel  and  re- 
freshing to  our  sight  as  though  we  had  kept  the  sea  for 
weeks  and  weeks.  The  sun  stood  high;  the  blue 
waters,  delicately  brushed  by  the  light  wind,  ran  in 
foamless  ripples;  the  long  curve  of  the  parade,  with 
the  rqofs  of  houses  past  it,  dominated  by  a  church, 
came  stealing  out  of  the  green  slopes  and  hills  beyond. 
A  few  smacks  from  Newlyn  were  putting  to  sea,  and 
the  whole  picture  their  way  was  rich  with  the  dyes  of 
their  canvas. 

The  steamer  was  brought  to  a  stand  when  she  was 
yet  some  distance  from  Penzance  harbor,  but  long 
before  this,  we  had  been  made  out  from  the  shore,  and 
several  boats  were  approaching  to  inquire  what  was 
wrong,  and  to  offer  such  help  as  the  state  of  the  Spit- 
fire suggested.  Caudel  and  Captain  Verrion  came  to 
us  where  we  were  standing,  and  the  former  said: 

"I'm  going  aboard  the  dandy  now,  sir.  I'll  see 
her  snug,  and  will  then  take  your  honor's  co.mmands." 

"Our  address  will  be  my  cousin's  home,  which  is 
some  little  distance  from  Penzance,"  I  answered; 
"here  it  is."  And  I  pulled  out  a  piece  of  paper  and 
scribbled  the  address  upon  it.  "You'll  be  without 


A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA.  175 

anything  in  your  pocket,  I  dare  say,"  I  continued, 
handing  him  five  sovereigns.  "  See  to  the  boy,  Caudel, 
and  if  he  wants  to  go  home,  you  must  learn  where  he 
lives,  for  I  mean  to  sell  that  yacht  there,  and  there'll 
be  money  to  go  to  him.  And  so  farewell  for  the  present," 
said  I,  shaking  the  honest  fellow  heartily  by  the  hand. 

He  saluted  Grace,  and  went  over  the  side,  followed 
by  Bobby  Allett,  and  both  of  them  were  presently 
aboard  the  little  Spitfire. 

"  There  are  boats  coming,"  exclaimed  Captain  Ver- 
rion,  "which  will  tow  your  dandy  into  Penzance 
harbor,  sir.  Will  you  go  ashore  in  one  of  them,  or 
shall  I  have  one  of  the  yacht's  lowered  for  you?" 

Thanking  him  heartily,  I  replied  that  one  of  the 
Penzance  boats  would  do  very  well,  and  then,  looking 
into  my  pocket-book  and  finding  that  I  had  rto  more 
money  about  me  than  I  should  need,  I  entered  the 
cabin,  sent  the  sailor  attendant  for  some  ink,  and 
writing  a  couple  of  checks,  asked  Captain  Verrion  to 
accept  one  for  himself,  and  to  distribute  the  proceeds 
of  the  other  among  his  crew.  He  was  very  reluctant 
to  take  the  money — said  that  the  earl  was  a  born  gen- 
tleman, who  would  wish  him  to  do  everything  that 
had  been  done,  and  that  no  sailor  ought  to  receive 
money  for  serving  people  fallen  in  with  in  a  condition 
of  distress  at  sea;  but  I  got  him  to  put  the  checks 
into  his  pocket  at  last,  and  several  boats  having  by 
this  time  come  alongside,  I  shook  the  worthy  man  by 
the  hand,  thanked  him  aga'm  and  again  for  his  treat- 
ment of  us,  and  went  with  Grace-down  the  little  gang- 
way-ladder into  the  boat. 


176  A    MARRIAGE    AT   SEA. 

On  landing,  we  proceeded  to  the  Queen's  Hotel, 
where  I  ordered  dinner,  and  then  wrote  a  letter  to  my 
cousin,  asking  him  and  his  wife  to  come  to  us  as 
speedily  as  possible,  adding  that  we  had  been  very 
nearly  shipwrecked,  and  had  met  with  some  strange 
adventures,  the  narrative  of  which,  if  attempted,  must 
fill  a  considerable  bundle  of  manuscript.  This  done, 
I  told  the  waiter  to  procure  me  a  mounted  messenger, 
and  within  three-quarters  of  an  hour  of  our  arrival  at 
Penzance,  my  letter  was  on  its  way  at  a  hard  gallop  to 

the  little  straggling  village  of ,  of  which  Frank 

Howe  was  vicar. 

Time  passed,  and  I  was  beginning  to  fear  that  some 
engagement  prevented  Howe  and  his  wife  from  com- 
ing over  to  us,  when,  hearing  a  noise  of  wheels,  I 
stepped  to  the  window,  and  saw  my  cousin  assisting  a 
lady  out  of  a  smart  little  pony-carriage. 

"Here  they  are!  "  I  exclaimed  to  Grace. 

There  was  a  pause ;  my  darling  looked  about  her 
with  terrified  eyes,  and  I  believe  she  would  have 
rushed  from  the  room  but  for  the  apprehension  of 
running  into  the  arms  of  the  visitors  as  they  ascended 
the  staircase.  A  waiter  opened  the  door,  and  in 
stepped  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frank  Howe.  My  cousin  and 
I  eagerly  shook  hands,  but  nothing  could  be  said  or 
done  until  the  ladies  were  introduced.  I  had  never 
before  met  Mrs.  Howe,  and  found  her  a  fair-haired, 
pretty  woman  of  some  eight-and-twenty  years,  dressed 
somewhat  "dowdily,"  to  use  the  ladies'  word,  but  her 
countenance  so  beamed  with  cheerfulness  and  good 
nature  that  it  was  only  needful  to  look  at  her  to  like 


A   MARRIAGE    AT   SEA.  177 

her.  Frank,  on  the  other  hand,  was  a  tall,  well-built 
man  of  some  three-and-thirty,  with  small  side-whisk- 
ers, deep-set  eyes,  a  large  nose,  and  teeth  so  white 
and  regular  that  it  was  a  pleasure  to  see  him  smile. 
One  guessed  that  whatever  special  form  his  Christian- 
ity took,  it  would  not  be  wanting  in  muscularity.  He 
held  Grace's  hand  in  both  of  his,  and  seemed  to  dwell 
with  enjoyment  upon  her  beauty  as  he  addressed  her 
in  some  warm-hearted  sentences.  Mrs.  Howe  kissed 
her  on  both  cheeks,  drew  her  to  the  sofa,  seated  herself 
by  her  side,  and  was  instantly  voluble  and  delightful. 

I  took  Frank  to  the  window,  and,  with  all  the 
brevity  possible  in  a  narrative  of  adventures  such  as 
ours,  related  what  had  befallen  us.  He  listened  with 
a  running  commentary  of  "  By  Jove !  You  don't  say 
so!  Is  it  possible?"  and  other  such  exclamations, 
constantly  directing  glances  at  Grace,  who  was  now 
deep  in  talk  with  Mrs.  Howe,  and,  as  I  could  tell  by 
the  expression  in  her  face,  excusing  her  conduct  by 
explaining  the  motives  of  it. 

Mrs.  Howe's  air  was  one  of  affection  and  sympathy, 
as  though  she  had  come  to  my  darling  with  the  reso- 
lution to  love  her  and  to  help  her. 

"  She  is  very  young,  Herbert,"  said  Frank,  in  a  low 
voice. 

"  She  is  eighteen,"  I  answered- 

"  She  is  exquisitely  beautiful.  I  can  not  wonder  at 
you,  even  if  I  could  have  the  heart  to  condemn  you. 
But  is  not  that  a  wedding-ring  on  her  finger? " 

"  It  is,"  I  answered,  looking  at  him. 

He  looked  hard  at  me  in  return,  and  remarked,  "A 
12 


178  A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA. 

mere  provision  against  public   curiosity,  I  presume? 
For  you  are  not  married?  " 

"I  am  not  so  sure  of  that,"  I  answered;  "but  my 
story  is  not  yet  ended."  And  I  then  told  him  of  the 
marriage  service  which  had  been  performed  by  Cap- 
tain Parsons  on  board  the  ship  Carthusian, 

"Tut!"  cried  he,  with  a  decided  Churchman-like 
shake  of  the  head  when  I  had  made  an  end.  "  That's 
no  marriage,  man." 

"  I  believe  it  is,  then,"  said  I ;  though,  of  course, 
until  you  unite  us  we  do  not  consider  ourselves  man 
and  wife." 

"I  should  think  not,"  he  exclaimed,  with  vehe- 
mence. "  What !  a  plain  master  of  a  ship  empowered 
to  solemnize  holy  matrimony?  Certainly  not.  No 
Churchman  would  hear  of  such  a  thing." 

"  Ay,  but  it's  not  for  the  Church ;  it's  the  affair  of 
the  law.  If  the  law  says  it's  all  right  the  Church  is 
bound  to  regard  it  as  right." 

"Certainly  not"  he  cried,  and  was  proceeding,  but 
I  interrupted  him  by  repeating  that  we  had  consented 
to  be  married  by  Captain  Parsons  in  the  forlorn  hope 
that  the  contract  might  be  binding. 

"But  without  bans — without  license — without  the 
consent  of  the  young  lady's  guardians?  No,  no,"  he 
cried,  "you  are  not  married.  But  it  is  highly  desir- 
able," he  added,  with  a  look  at  Grace,  "  that  you 
should  get  married  without  delay.  And  now  what  do 
you  propose  to  do?" 

"  Well,  time  may  be  saved  by  your  publishing  the 
bans  at  once,  Frank." 


A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA.  179 

"  Yes,  but  you  must  first  obtain  the  guardian's  con- 
sent." 

"  Oh,  confound  it ! "  I  cried,  "  I  did  not  know  that. 
I  believed  the  bans  could  be  published  while  the  con- 
sent was  being  worked  for." 

He  mused  awhile,  eying  his  wife  and  Grace,  who 
continued  deep  in  conversation,  and  then,  after  a  con- 
siderable pause,  exclaimed : 

"There  is  nothing  to  be  done  but  this:  we  must 
revert  to  your  original  scheme.  Miss  Bellassys — " 

"Call  her  Grace,"  said  I. 

"  Well,  Grace  must  come  and  stay  with  us." 

I  nodded ;  for  that  I  had  intended  all  along. 

"I  will  find  a  lodging  for  you  in  the  village."  I 
nodded  again.  "  Meanwhile — this  very  day,  indeed — 
you  must  sit  down  and  write  to  Lady  Amelia  Roscoe, 
saying  all  that  your  good  sense  can  suggest,  and  taking 
your  chance,  as  you  have  put  it,  of  the  appeal  your 
association  with  her  niece  will  make  to  her  ladyship's 
worldly  vanity,  and  to  her  perceptions  as  a  woman  of 
society." 

"All  that  you  are  saying,"  I  replied,  "I  had  long 
ago  resolved  on;  and  you  will  find  this  scheme,  as  you 
have  put  it,  almost  word  for  word  in  the  letter  in  which 
I  told  you  of  my  plans,  and  asked  you  to  marry  us." 

"  Yes,  I  believe  my  recommendations  are  not  origi- 
nal," said  he.  "There  is  something  more  to  suggest, 
however.  If  Lady  Amelia  will  send  Grace  her  con- 
sent, why  wait  for  the  bans  to  be  published?  Why 
not  procure  a  license?  It  is  due  to  Grace,"  said  he, 
sinking  his  voice  and  sending  a  look  of  admiration  at 


180  A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA. 

her,  "  that  you  should  make  her  your  wife  as  speedily 
as  possible." 

"  Yes,  yes,  I  have  heard  that  said  before.  I  have 
been  a  good  deal  advised  on  this  head.  My  dear  fel- 
low, only  consider;  would  not  I  make  her  my  wife  this 
instant,  if  you  will  consent  to  marry  us?  " 

The  pony  and  trap  had  been  sent  round  to  some 
adjacent  stables,  but  by  seven  o'clock  we  had  made 
all  necessary  arrangements,  and  the  vehicle  was  again 
brought  to  the  door.  I  then  sat  down  to  write  to 
Lady  Amelia  Roscoe. 

It  is  some  years  now  since  all  this  happened.  I 
have  no  copy  of  that  letter,  and  my  memory  is  not 
strong  in  points  of  this  sort.  I  recollect,  however, 
that  after  making  several  attempts,  I  produced  some- 
thing which  was  brief  almost  to  abruptness,  and  that  it 
satisfied  me  as,  on  the  whole,  very  well  put,  not  want- 
ing in  a  quality  of  what  I  might  term  mild  brutality, 
for  this  was  an  element  I  could  not  very  well  manage 
without  having  regard  to  what  I  had  to  ask,  and  what 
I  had  to  tell.  And  let  this  reference  to  that  letter 
suffice;  though  I  must  add  that  I  took  care  to  inclose 
a  copy  of  Captain  Parsons'  certificate  of  our  marriage, 
with  the  names  of  those  who  had  signed  it,  affirming 
that  the  marriage  was  good  in  point  of  law,  as  she 
might  easily  assure  herself  by  consulting  her  solicitors, 
and  also  acquainting  her  in  no  doubtful  terms  that  the 
wedding-ring  was  on  Grace's  finger,  and  that  we  re- 
garded ourselves  as  husband  and  wife. 

I  had  scarcely  dispatched  this  letter,  when  Caudel 
was  announced.  He  stood  in  the  door-way,  cap  in 


A   MARRIAGE    AT   SEA.  181 

hand,  knuckling  his  forehead,  and  backing  a  bit  with 
a  rolling  gait,  after  the  custom  of  the  British  merchant 
sailor. 

"Well,  Mr.  Barclay,  sir,  and  how  are  ye  again? 
And  how's  the  young  lady  after  all  these  here  trav- 
erses ? " 

I  bade  him  sit  down,  pulled  the  bell  for  a  glass  of 
grog  for  him,  and  asked  for  news  of  the  Spitfire. 

"Well,  sir,"  he  answered,  "she's  just  what  I've 
come  to  talk  to  ye  about.  She'd  started  a  butt,  as  I 
all  along  thought,  otherwise  she's  as  sound  as  a  bell. 
There  was  a  shipwright  as  came  to  look  at  her,  and  he 
asked  me  what  we  was  going  to  do.  I  told  him  that 
I  didn't  think  the  gent  as  owned  her  meant  to  repair 
her.  *  I  rather  fancy,'  I  says,  says  I,  feeling  my  way, 
that  he  wants  to  sell  her.'  *  How  much  do  'e  ask, 
d'ye  know  ?'  says  he,  a-looking  at  the  little  dandy.  '  I 
can't  answer  that,'  says  I, '  but  I'm  sure  he'll  accept 
any  reasonable  offer.'  Says  he,  'May  I  view  her?' 
'  Sartinly,'  I  says,  says  I.  He  thoroughly  overhauled 
her,  inside  and  out,  and  then  says  he,  '  I  believe  I  can 
find  a  customer  for  this  here  craft.  Suppose  you  go 
and  find  out  what  the  gentleman  wants,  and  let  me 

know.  You'll  find  me  at ,'  and  here  he  names  a 

public  house." 

"Get  what  you  can  for  her,  Caudel,"  I  answered; 
"  the  more  the  better  for  those  to  whom  the  money 
will  go.  For  my  part,  as  you  know,  I  consider  her  as 
at  the  bottom  ;  but,  since  you've  pulled  her  through, 
I'll  ask  you  to  pack  up  certain  articles  which  are  on 
board — the  cabin  clock,  the  plate,  my  books;"  and  I 


182  A   MARRIAGE   AT    SEA. 

named  a  few  other  items  of  the  little  craft's  internal 
furniture. 

Well,  he  sat  with  me  for  half  an  hour,  talking  over 
the  dandy  and  our  adventures,  then  left  me,  and  I 
went  into  the  town  to  make  a  few  necessary  purchases, 
missing  the  society  of  my  darling  as  though  I  had  lost 
my  right  arm ;  indeed,  I  felt  so  wretched  without  her 
that,  declining  the  landlord's  invitation  to  join  a  select 
circle  of  Penzance  wits,  over  whom  he  was  in  the  habit 
of  presiding  in  the  evening  in  a  smoking-room  full  of 
the  vapors  of  tobacco  and  the  steam  of  hot  rum  and 
whisky,  I  went  to  bed  at  nine  o'clock,  and  may  say 
that  I  did  not  sleep  the  less  soundly  for  missing  the 
heave  of  the  ocean. 

Next  morning,  shortly  after  breakfast,  Frank  arrived 

to  drive  me  over  to .  Until  we  were  clear  of  the 

town  he  could  talk  of  nothing  but  Grace — how  sweet 
she  was,  how  exquisite  her  breeding,  how  gentle.  All 
this  was  as  it  should  be,  and  I  heard  him  with  delight. 

But  te  make  an  end,  seeing  that  but  little  more  re- 
mains to  be  told.  It  was  four  days  after  our  arrival 

at that  I  drove  Grace  over  to  Penzance  to  enable 

her  to  keep  an  appointment  with  her  dressmaker. 
Caudel  still  hung  about  the  quaint  old  town,  and  had 
sent  me  a  rude,  briny  scrawl,  half  the  words  looking  as 
though  they  had  been  smeared  out  by  his  little  finger, 
and  the  others  as  if  they  had  been  written  by  his  pro- 
truded tongue,  in  which  he  said,  in  spelling  beyond 
expression  wonderful,  that  he  had  brought  the  ship- 
wright to  terms,  and  wished  to  see  me.  I  left  Grace 
at  the  dressmaker's  and  walked  to  the  address  where 


A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA.  183 

Caudel  had  said  I  should  find  him.  He  looked  highly 
soaped  and  polished,  his  hair  shone  like  his  boots,  and 
he  wore  a  new  coat,  with  several  fathoms  of  spotted 
kerchief  wound  round  about  his  throat. 

After  we  had  exchanged  a  few  sentences  of  greeting 
and  good  will,  he  addressed  me  thus : 

"  Your  honor  gave  me  leave  to  do  the  best  I  could 
with  the  little  dandy.  Well,  Mr.  Barclay,  sir,  this  is 
what  I've  done;  and  here's  the  money." 

He  thrust  his  hands  into  the  pockets  of  his  trous- 
ers, which  buttoned  up  square  as  a  Dutchman's  stern, 
after  the  fashion  that  is  long  likely  to  remain  popular 
with  the  men  of  the  Caudel  breed,  and  pulling  out  a 
large  chamois-leather  bag,  he  extracted  from  it  a  quan- 
tity of  bank  notes,  very  worn,  greasy,  and  crumpled, 
and  some  sovereigns  and  shillings  which  looked  as  if 
they  had  been  stowed  away  in  an  old  stocking  since 
the  beginning  of  the  century.  He  surveyed  me  with  a 
gaze  of  respectful  triumph,  perhaps  watching  for  some 
expression  of  astonishment. 

"  How  much  have  you  there,  Caudel  ?  " 

"You'll  scarcely  credit  it,  sir,"  said  he,  grinning. 

"  But  how  much,  man  ?  how  much  ?  " 

"  One  hundred  and  seventy-three  pound,  fourteen 
shillin',  as  I'm  a  man !"  cried  he,  smiting  the  table  with 
his  immense  fist. 

I  smiled,  for  though  I  had  bought  the  dandy  cheap, 
she  had  cost  me  a  very  great  deal  more  by  the  time 
she  was  fit  to  go  afloat  in  than  Caudel  had  received  for 
her.  But  Grace  was  not  to  be  kept  waiting ;  and  I 
rose. 


184  A    MARRIAGE    AT    SEA. 

"  You  will  give  what  you  think  fair  to  the  boy 
Bobby,  Caudel." 

He  looked  at  me  stupidly. 

"  Did  I  not  tell  you,"  said  I,  "  that  what  the  dandy 
fetched  was  to  be  yours,  and  that  something  of  it  was 
to  go  to  the  boy  ?  As  to  those  who  deserted  you,  they 
may  call  upon  me  for  their  wages,  but  they'll  get  no 
more." 

He  seemed  overwhelmed ;  and  indeed  his  astonish- 
ment surprised  me,  for  I  had  imagined  my  intentions 
with  regard  to  the  yacht  were  well  known  to  him. 

Grace  and  I  returned  to  somewhere  about 

four  o'clock,  having  lunched  at  Penzance.  We  alighted 
at  the  vicarage,  and  entered  the  fragrant  little  dining- 
room.  My  cousin  and  his  wife  were  sitting  waiting  for 
us.  Sophy,  on  our  entrance,  started  up  and  cried : 

"Grace,  here  is  a  letter  for  you.  I  believe  it  is 
from  your  aunt." 

My  darling  turned  white,  and  I  was  sensible  of 
growing  very  nearly  as  pale  as  she.  Her  hand  trem- 
bled as  she  took  the  letter;  she  eyed  me  piteously, 
seemed  to  make  an  effort  to  break  the  envelope,  then 
extending  it  to  me,  said,  "  I  dare  not  read  it." 

I  instantly  tore  it  open,  read  it  to  myself  once,  then 
aloud : 

"Lady  Amelia  Roscoe  begs  to  inform  her  niece 
that  she  washes  her  hands  of  her.  She  wishes  never  to 
see  nor  to  hear  of  her  again.  So  far  as  Lady  Amelia 
Roscoe's  consent  goes,  her  niece  is  at  liberty  to  do 
what  she  likes  and  go  where  she  likes.  Any  further 
communications  which  Lady  Amelia's  niece  may  re- 


A   MARRIAGE   AT    SEA.  185 

quire  to  make,  must  be  addressed  to  her  ladyship's 
solicitors,  Messrs.  Fox  &  Wyndall,  Lincoln's  Inn 
Fields." 

"  Thank  Heaven !"  I  exclaimed,  drawing  the  deep- 
est breath  I  had  ever  fetched  in  my  life. 

"  Now,  Herbert,  I  am  at  your  service,"  said  Frank. 

Grace  was  crying,  and  Sophy,  giving  her  husband 
and  me  a  reassuring  look,  with  sisterly  gentleness,  took 
my  darling's  arm  and  led  her  out  of  the  room. 


THE   END. 


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